One Step, Two Step
by Thankless
Summary: AU All childhood friends Suzaku Kururugi and Lelouch Lamperogue wanted was to enjoy a nice vacation in Las Vegas. What exactly do you do when you wake up naked smelling like alcohol, covered with glitter, and married to your best friend? SuzaLulu
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Chapter One: Bachelor Party (Part One)

"Now, what I have in mind is we ditch the leopard print table clothes and go for something a little more classy. I understand you're aiming for a jungle theme with your reception but I think there's a way we can combined your theme and an air of elegance without getting tacky," A thoughtful voice explained, fiddling with some silky fabric beneath his fingers. Was the material soft and work well as a tablecloth? Yes. Was it tasteless and tacky? That was yes with a capital Y-E-S! "Now, I can tell by how you're glaring at me you don't like what I'm telling you but listen to me, Felicia, you'll be much happier once I bring your vision together in a way that your guests will be gushing about for years to come."

The woman he addressed sighed and twirled one of her lng brown locks around her finger and looked at him sadly. "I guess you're right. I need to have faith in your ability to bring my fantasy to life I just really liked this cloth, Lelouch. Is there anyway we could fit it in somewhere else?" She asked curiously.

"I'm sure I can find some way to do that for you. Now, Shirley, do me a favor and set some appointments in my palm pilot. We need to go to the bridal store in two days with Felicia and her bridesmaids to ick out their gowns around noon. After that we need to go to the tuxedo store with Dan and his groomsmen to get them fitted for their tuxs. We also need to call Rivalz's bakery and see if he and his crew can make a special request cake. The next day we need to chat with the hotel about what we'll need to do to the room before the reception starts and we need to call our usual set up crew and make sure they aren't busy with anything else. I need their undivided attention." He instructed, glancing over at his assitant. She jolted up in surprise, her amber eyes widening a bit, before she hurriedly nodded and pulled out his electronic planner and began filling the information he'd listed. His cell phone buzzed loudly in his pocket suddenly, causing him to start and dig it out of his pocket.

"Lelouch, it's me! Euphy and Suzaku just showed up and Euphy was not looking too pleased! You need to high tail it back here as soon as possible!" His office secretary, Kaguya Sumeragi, gushed frantically. Kaguya was the younger cousin of his best friend, Suzaku Kururugi, and he had hired the girl over the summer since she needed a job. She was wuite splendid at her job; whether her motivation was the decent paycheck or the facts she had a rather obvious crush on Lelouch was up for debate. "I'll try to keep her from going bonkers but I really need you to get back here!"

"Calm down, Kaguya," Lelouch said smoothly, snapping his fingers at Shirley. She nodded and handed a small card over to the now confused young bride before them. Lelouch turned and headed toward the door, his perky assistant chasing after him with her heels clicking loudly on the tile. "Offer them some coffee or tea and those little cakes we order to give the guests. Try chatting Euphemia up about what flavor they're leaning toward for the cake or ask Suzaku how things have been going for him at work. Just get one of them talking; they never interrupt each other's conversations with their own problems." He explained as he walked. He indicated a man holding the hotel door open for them to Shirley, who promply pulled a few bills from her purse and placed them in his hand, bowing and muttering a quick thanks. "I'll be there in a few minutes, Kaguya. Just be the wonderful, charming girl I know you are and you'll keep them in line." He cut off her fangirl-like squeal by snapping his phone shut and flagging down a cab. He held the door open and waited until his assitant was seated in the back before slipping in himself. "Downtown, please. Chech Mate Wedding Coordinators, please." He said while loosening up his tie. The taxi slid into motion after his order was given.

Lelouch glanced as Shirley, who was now fidgitting like a nervous mouse cornered by a devious cat. "Shirley, Euphemia said she'd be stopping by at one o'clock, did she not? She's a good hour early, isn't she?" He mused aloud, watching how the girl flinched and tightened her hands grasp on her pencil skirt. Euphemia was normally not so high maintence but considering her wedding was in two weeks and she had a very limited window of time to talk to Lelouch about what they wanted, given she and Suzaku's hectic and uncoordinated work schedules. Her being so clearly haywire at his office for apparently no reason made very little sense to him. "And the for her to be insulted that I'm not in? I told her I have other appointments."

"I'm so sorry Lulu! I forgot the consultation with Felicia was scheduled for eleven thirty and scheduled Euphy in for twelve rather than one! I lied because I didn't want you to get mad at me!" The young woman confessed suddenly, eyes welling up with tears. Lelouch sighed, reached over, and gently stroked her orange haired head with one pale hand.

"When this kind of stuff happens just be upfront and tell me what happened, okay? I promise I won't get mad if you make a few mistakes every now and again," He stated in a gentle tone. Lelouch had known Shirley Fenette since they were in high school and had even dated the girl for about a year. Things between them, however, ending up not turning out well when Lelouch realized he wasn't really attracted to women and his affection for the girl had merely been platonic. They agreed to stay friends and she remained one of his closest friends. "We may be boss and assistant but we're also friends, Shirley." He stated again, still stroking her hair like she was a weeping child and he was her mother.

"You're such a forgiving guy, Lelouch," She sniffled softly, wiping at her eyes with one hand. Her mascara was running and her eyeliner was smudged. Lelouch sighed, took her purse, and began rummaging through it. He knew she carried make-up in her bag to do little touch-ups between appointments. He handed her a handkerchief he'd hand folded into the breast pocket of his coat and indicated his eyes with one finger. She blushed, realizing what the sign meant, and set to work removing the ruined appearance.

"Close your eyes and tilt your head up," Lelouch said as he pulled out the eyeliner and eyeshadow she'd gone with for the day. She followed his instruction and he repaired the damage her crocodile tears had done, being gentle but also putting her together flawlessly. Being a perfectionist, he was always the best at making sure a girl or guy was put together properly and stylishly. That keen eye for detail was probably why Lelouch was one of the most renowned wedding planners in all of Japan.

The taxi pulled up to the small building Lelouch operated from. He usually preferred flashy, theatrical places but he also knew that a wedding planners building didn't need to be excessively big because it would lead to an excessively large amount of money to keep up. Lelouch walked into his small business confidently, a less than self-assured Shirley clicking after him. Kaguya sat behind her desk, clacking away at her desk computer. She jolted up and stood, her bright jade eyes large with concern. "I tried to go in and perk them up but Euphy wasn't having it. She said to leave them alone in your office until your arrival," She whispered softly, looking down in shame. Lelouch gently patted her head, much like he had with Shirley.

"I assume Suzaku's sitting there in nothing but his boxers, right?" He asked with a small teasing grin. Kaguya giggled, covering her mouth with her hands to try and muffle the sound. If not for the fact they were such great friends Lelouch wouldn't commonly tease the grooms dealing with bridezillas. But considering it was his half-sister and his best friend he was taking care of he figured, as long as they didn't hear him, joking with the staff was okay. "Shirley, you coordinate those times and appointments we made today with kaguya so she can put them in the office computer. I'm going to go try to slay a dragon in my office." He said calmly, shrugging off his black coat adn hanging it on the nearby rack. Both girls nodded, trying not to drool at the sight of their employer standing there in a long sleeved white top with his tie hanging lazily over his chest, and watched him disappear behind the nearby wooden door.

Lelouch wasn't surprised to see the mop of curly bown hair or the long tendrils of bubble gum pink locks sitting in the guest chairs across from his desk, which would seperate them from one another. "Sorry I'm a little late. We had a little bit of a problem with one of my other girls that we had to see to and I lost track of time," He stated calmly. He wasn't going to tell them the truth, about Shirley's mistake, because he didn't want to throw the poor girl under the bus. He knew she was feeling guilty over the whole thing and that was enough of him.

"You should really learn to manage your time better, Lelouch," The other male in the room chuckled good naturedly. Suzaku Kururugi was an attractive specimen of the male sex. He had curly brown locks that looked soft to the touch with bangs that could curl into his eyes, giving those dark emerald orbs a keen glint in accordance to whatever emotion he was feeling at the moment. Under his brown turtle neck sweater was a plane of rippling tan muscles that would make any girl, or male with a taste for other male flesh, swoon easily. His skin was a golden tan and was completely natural from his many hours doing outside activities.

"Well I guess you're right about that," Lelouch confessed calmly, glancing at his older sister cautiously. Euphemia was a very pretty girl, always had been and he was certain she always would be. She was given the pale complexion that seemed to run in the Lamperogue family with pink hair that tumbled down her back like a wave forever frosen in it's rise. Her eyes were a lilac color similiar to Lelouch's, if only a few tones lighter than his. She watched him with a keen glint inher eyes, analyzing him and seeing if he was lying. "Sorry I'm so undone. I was just tired; that woman really has no taste."

"It's a good thing she has you to fall back on but don't forget your family," Euphy huffed lightly, leaning back in her seat and straightening out her long blue skirt. Euphemia was a librarian at a public school and, because classes were always coming and going, had to do her best to find time to escape during the work day to fret over the wedding. Her words were her form of accepting his words and deciding to believe him which helped Lelouch relax a little more.

"Now, have you two decided on a theme yet? Or any specific colors?" He asked calmly, pulling out a notepad and a pen. He clicked the end, popping out the little tip. "You two have been coordinating and discussing when you can, right?" He asked, glancing up. The two looekd between one another nervously before looking anywhere around the room except Lelouch. "You mean you two haven't been discussing it? Suzaku, I've been telling you to tend to this every day!" Lelouch stated harshly, glaring at the two. He and Suzaku currently lived in an apartment with two of their females friends, who were dating, and saw each other quite often.

Euphemia sighed and looked down. "I'm sorry, Lelouch. It's just been hard to get together and talk. I mean, Father and Mother have been bombarding with phones calls and when I finally have a chance to call Suzaku's usually on his work phone with one of the parents he deals with. That or Cici hangs up on me," She stated gently. Cici, one of their roommates, was what she called a stay at home mother. She and Kallen had adopted a golden retriever pup, which they then named Cheese-Kun, and since Cici was unemployed it became her job to train the little pooch. She was also far from a fan of Euphemia. She found Euphy to be too high maintence and superficial for her tastes, which she vocalized to Suzaku every chance she got.

"Well, considering Suzaku works with an adoption agency that's understandable and I'll have a stern talk with Cici. The only thing keeping her around is the fact Kallen's coveraging both their bills," He stated flatly before looking at the couple before him again. "Well, since I have you hear for about thirty minutes we can do a little bit of this right now. So... Colors? What would you two like to see?" He asked gently, looking back down at the pad of paper.

"Well, I kind of like the idea of incorporating gold and white in the wedding somehow," Suzaku piped in cautiously. Euphemia perked up and looked at him, stunned. He hadn't mentioned a word of this to her. "I think they'd look good. Plus you mentioned wanting purple and pink flowers in your bouquet. The four colors would look good together, right?" Suzaku asked, graspng at straws and looking over at Suzaku hopefully.

"He's got a point there. Plus the white and gold are colors that could be seen as masculine and feminine at the same time. It'll give it a good contrast and let Suzaku's family feel he did participate in the decesion making for the wedding," Lelouch stated calmly, scribbling it down. He then glanced back up and nodded a bit, check that off his list of things to do. "Now have you discussed what flavor cake you want and how many tiers you'll need in order to feed all your guests?"

...

Lelouch groaned as he and Suzaku walked into their large apartment. The second the door closed little Cheese-Kun came sharging virtually out of nowhere anad began sniffing the two men eagerly, his tail erect. After a moment he seemed to recognize them and settled for hopping on their legs. The ebony haired male brushed him off while the other leaned down and fondled over him. "Don't be so mean, Lelouch!" He laughed happily.

"I need a nice long bath. You and Euphemia are just too much. I've never dealt with a couple so unprepared for their own wedding before," He groaned as he opened his door. he stopped when he saw his large black suitcase resting on his bed, some of his clothes folded neatly in it along with all his bathroom supplies. "And what would this happen to be all about? Planning to kick me out, ladies?" He called down the hall, indicating his packed bag. Suzaku perked up, picking Cheese-Kun up and cuddling him lightly, before the door next to Lelouch's swung open.

"I was feeling nice. We're going to Vegas, remember?" A dull, bored female voice asked as the owner walked out. A woman in a plush white bath robe with long lime green hair waledk out, her wolfish gold eyes gleaming as she looked between the boys. She patted her leg lightly and the pup in Suzaku's arms squirmed, landed on the ground and darted over to her eagerly. "I packed you two some clothes. We'll only be gone for two days but I thought you'd want all you things. Especially considering how OCD you get, Lelouch." She said briskly while picking the little hound up. Now I'm going to finish getting ready and then Cheese-Kun and I are going to watch Deal or No Deal until Kallen gets here so we can go." She then disappeared back behind the door just as abruptly as she'd arrived.

"Great! I forgot about that so now I have to have Shirley and Kaguya change all those times and plans!" Lelouch cursed with a groan, pulling out his cell phone. This, he knew was going to be a long next few weeks. If only he'd remembered they were having Suzaku's bachelor party way early due to their only real time for wedding planning and such being the few days before the actual ceremony. Why Suzaku and Euphemia didn't just decide to postpone the wedding until the two of them had more time for planning and such was beyond him. He just knew that their inability to think long term was seriously putting a dent in his own life.

...

The plane ride to Las Begas, where Kallen's brother was awaiting them, had been one Lelouch could have lived without. Cici and Suzaku had fought most of the ride. Suzaku had snapped over how Cici treated Euphemia which lad them to fight about trivial things as well, like how it had taken Cici ten minutes to be done wishing Cheese-Kun good luck in the pet compartment of the plane. He said that if "you can be so humane to a stupid ball of fluff why can't you be at least civil with my fiancee?" It had ended when Cici chose to turn around and cry on Kallen, who then threatened to rip Suzaku's testicles and end the Kururugi clan with him is he was going to bully her girlfriend. Rather than try to fight back against the both of them he settled for snagging one of the many books Lelouch, who was sitting next to him, had brought and remainined shut in to the book the rest of the time.

"You know that Cici won't listen to you so why do you feel the need to pick a fight with her?" Lelouch asked as he adn Suzaku went to get the luggage. Cici went to get Cheese-Kun while Kallen called her brother to tell him they were ready to be taken to the hotel. Her brother was a manager for New York, New York and had gotten them rooms at a pretty nice discount.

"Well I thought trying to be civil with her would actually get me somewhere for once. I'm starting to get sick of how she treats Euphemia! I might just uninvite her from the wedding!" He snapped angrily, yanking his bag off the rolling machine as it came by. Lelouch followed, which he took off with a little more care and consideration. "If you think you can get her to stop you try talking to her. I'm going to go wait out front for our ride." Suzaku seethed before stomping off. Lelouch sighed and set to work gathering the other bags.

Kallen snapped her phone shut just as Cici walked back over, Cheese-Kun's leash in one hand and his kennel in the other. "Hello little prince! Mommy missed you so much while you were gone! Yes she did!" Kallen gushed eagerly, scooping the fluffy puppy up and kissing him as he licked at her feverishly. Cici, however, was watching Lelouch and Suzaku's exchange and how then the brunette stomped away.

"Hey," She said suddenly, causing Kallen to look away from the pup she was now holding like a baby and look at her, "you hate Euphy too, right? She's not good enough for Suzaku. And he doesn't really love her, even though he hasn't realized it yet. You agree with me about that, right?" She pressed as she set the little kennel down. Kallen sighed and handed Cheese-Kun over, letting Cici nuzzle him lightly.

"What are you planning now, huh? Something deviously evil?" She asked calmly, hands on her hips. Cici glanced at her then looked back over at Lelouch. The red head followed her gaze and pale blue eyes snapped open. Now, Kallen was not the sharpest tool in the shed. Did she believe that men were pigs and that only her precious Cici and gay men could understand her? Yes. Did she usually use her fists to solve her problems? Most of the time that was how she stopped problems from remaining verbal. But even she knew what her girlfriend was planning. "No, Cici, no! We absolutely cannot!" She said sternly.

"You know they'd be perfect for each other, right?" Cici pressed further, clearly not taking her love's warning seriously. Cheese-Kun looked between his mothers' and his tail wagged happily. Somehow he knew something interesting was going on and wanted to know.

"W-Well...Yeah, I guess you're right, but Suzaku's engaged and we can't-" One finger to her lips silenced Kallen with the greatest of ease. An enchanting yet wicked grin turned up on the lips of the other woman who had requested the silence.

"I never said we were going to do it all; we're just going to make sure they see it. Even if it means drugging their drinks," And with that Cici began walking off, carrying her pup with great pride at her devious plan. Kallen watched for a moment before picking up the pet carrier and chasing after the other female.

_'God I love how damn evil that woman can be!'_

End

So... What do you think so far? I have to confess that I am a fan of the new and improved Cheese-Kun. He's so much better than the old one and guess what? He can still wear a cute little top hat! But we'll discuss that a little later. Next time we'll start getting into all the crazy antics! Until then, please read and review! Ciao!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Chapter Two: Bachelor Party (Part Two)

The ride in Naoto's car to the hotel was painfully uncomfortable for all parties. Cici and Suzaku had begun a new bout of squabbling over whether or not Euphemia really was a good person or not. Lelouch had made an attempt to stop the obnoxious bickering, given he was sitting in the back of the car between them, but was ineffective at this. Naoto and Kallen were trying to chat and catch up but as the arguing got louder conversations between the two came to an end. Lelouch, knowing he'd be unable to get the two to stop their battle now, began apologizing to the older Kouzuki sibling profusely for the senseless arguing. After arriving at the hotel, Lelouch and Kallen took Suzaku and Cici in seperate elevators. "I told you not to fight with her over it," Lelouch chided lowly as he clicked the button of their floor.

"I'm totally going to uninvite her to the wedding. I'm not dealing with her attitude," He grumbled bitterly. Lelouch sighed and ran his fingers through his raven tinted bangs in hopes of relaxing a bit. Suzaku let out a sigh, glancing at Lelouch through the corner of his eye. The two had been best friends since they were ten when Lelouch moved in down the street. Lelouch's mother had just left his father and taken he and his younger sister away with her. Nunnally and Lelouch had both been so terrified, though Lelouch was too prideful to show it, and the first time they met Suzaku's own pride had gotten hold of him, causing him to pummel the British boy until his sister's frightened squeals caused his mother to come charging out of the house. He first noticed this habit of Lelouch's when his mother dragged him over for an apology; Lelouch's fingers had wormed their way through his hair as he stumbled through an apology of his own. The little habit had become a quality Suzaku considered relatively endearing of the other boy.

"I'll try talking Cici into behaving around you and Euphemia. I'll get her to bite her tongue for you if you'll just give me a little time," He sighed softly, leaning against the glass of the elevator. His eyes glinted lightly as he dropped his hand and gave Suzaku a small, hopeful smile. "Let me try, at least?" He asked gently.

"You're lucky you're my best friend; no one else could get away with what you asked me for," He said cheerfully, reaching over and patting Lelouch's shoulders. The two grinned at each other the same way they had after their shaky apologies all those years ago.

...

Cici remained calm, cool and collected as she mixed a few drinks using supplies she'd found in the mini bar in the room. "Kallen, in my make-up bag there should be a little container of tic-tacs," She said calmly. The other girl pulled out the black bag, unzipped it, pulled out the container and plopped on into her hand. She went to plop one in her mouth when the lime green haired woman made a kissing noise of protest. "They aren't tic-tacs." She said flatly, taking the one from her girlfriend's hand and set it on top of the table she was mixing on. She took out another little white pill from the container, set it on the table, crushed it up and sprinkled it into one drink. She repeated the action with the first one she'd swiped from Kallen. The red head flopped on the bed and laid on her side, letting their little pup curl up against her stomach.

"Why exactly do you have those with you?" She asked with a huff while stroking the fluffy yellow pup. She scratched behind the little guy's ear and watched his back leg kick frantically. She grinned and kissed his little head lightly.

"I've been planning this little... intervention for quite some time," She stated happily, using a plastic straw to mix the pills in more thoroughily. She wanted to make sure neither one of the boys would notice a powdery taste in their drink; Lelouch was quick-witted and Suzaku had no issue using a little bit of his muscle to get people to talk. She was always stunned that the two hadn't gone into the police academy and become partners as detectives solving crimes; Lelouch and Suzaku were unstoppable together and had each others' faults covered. "Having you on my side just helps me get through with it." She mused as the door clicked open and the two men walked in. She discretely slipped the tic-tac container into her jean pocket and turned, holding the drinks up. "Hey boys. Care to take part in a little prefestivities drink?" She asked happily, her amber eyes twinkling with joy. She was so excited to see how her plan went.

"Why are you feeling so nice all of a sudden?" Suzaku asked flatly, setting his suitcases down and cautiously taking a glass. He sipped it lightly then blinked. Cici had been a bartender up until she was recently fired because of being accused of stealing. She had not, of course, been the thief but a manager had always had a strong dislike of her and claimed she'd seen the girl acting suspiciously.

"Look, Suzaku," She said gently after handing Lelouch his drink, "Kallen straightened me out on the way up. After we talked I realized that if being with Euphemia is what makes you happy I need to just accept it. After all, I just want to be sure you're happy." She said gently with a small smile in place. Suzaku's eye widened and filled with joy. Sometimes the boy was so naive Cici felt almost guilty about manipulating him.

Lelouch sipped his drink, suspicion crawling about under his skin. He had known Cici since they were high school freshmen when Lelouch came out of the closet and joined the gay rights club at the academy. She was not someone who could be swayed so easily, not even for Kallen. So how was it she so suddenly changed her mind on her opinion of Euphemia and the relationship she shared with their close friend. He knew something wasn't right, taking a mental note that he should keep an eye on her for the remained of the evening.

...

Cici and Kallen couldn't believe how much fun they were having with the drugged boys. Lelouch, who was usually well kept and neat, was all over the place acting like a moron. Suzaku was equally as frantic and bizarre. Seated in the car, the ebony haired male was straddling the brunette and they were engaged in a heated makeout session. "Okay, I know I was a little resistant to see how drugging them would work out but now I'm really glad I listened to you," Kallen whisered to Cici. They had borrowed Naoto's car and Kallen had taken up the driver's spot while her sinister girlfriend had taken the passenger side. And now their male companions were playing an intense game of tonsil hockey in the back. "I just wish we'd thought to bring a camera to take pictures so we could use them later."

Cici snickered. "Yeah, that certainly would have added to the entertainment quality," She agreed, glancing back at the two males. She then rested her chin in her hand and snapped her fingers, causing the two to pull apart and look at her curiously. "Where do you two want to go now?" She asked. They'd just spent some time at a casino in which they learned that, even under the influence of drugs, alcohol and not being in his right frame of mind, Lelouch was still the greatest when it came to poker. She found it hilarious that the logical side of his brain, or at least the part of his brain that was good at those things, was totally fine while his sense of morality was clearly jumbled up.

"Let's get married!" Suzaku cheered, looking at Lelouch with blurry eyes brimming with excitement. The other responded by giggling like a perky little schoolgirl and kissing the other eagerly, their mouths slanting over one anothers and tongue coming out to play.

"Kallen, find us a 24-hour chapel! These two are getting hitched!" Cici cheered happily, pointing toward all of the brightly lit buildings around them. Kallen laughed and nodded, finding that even if she knew that she shouldn't agree she was far too hyped up to use her better judgement. She pulled into a nice little chapel and parked closer to the front door. She wanted to make sure they could get the boys in and out with the least amount of incident.

Cici and Kallen helped each boy inside, keeping them from tripping over themselves. The two were giggling and giddy, completely loopy and wild. It made the two girls laugh and giggle as well. They headed in, eyes large with joy, and called for someone to come and help them. Cici just couldn't believe what wonderful luck she was having with her plan working out as well as it was.

End

I am so sorry this chapter was so short! By the time I had time to work on this one I wanted to try and get it out so that all of you wonderful people wouldn't jump ship. I promise the next chapter will be extremely long to make up for this. Please read, review and I hope to see you next time!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Chapter Three: The Morning After

Behind his closed lids, Lelouch's head was throbbing as if someone hand opened his skull and pounded his brains with a meat hammer. He curled tighter into himself and relaxed as he felt something warm pressed against his back. He then stopped, brow tightening a bit as he analyzed the object behind him; it was warm, fleshy, and somewhat hard. He then noticed that it felt very much like skin to skin contact, like he and someone else were... He eyes snapped open and he looked over his shoulder to see curled brown locks trailing over a tanned forehead and shut eye lids. Trembling, he made sure to handle the situation with the appropriate response; he screamed and jumped back as quick and far as he could.

Suzaku, startled by the abrupt actions, jumped into the air and stumbled off the bed in the opposite direction as Lelouch, landing on his head with a pained thump. "What? What's going on?" He yelped as he sat up. Lelouch's eye twitched as his frantic eyes locked with Suzaku bemused look. He blinked a bit and noticed that, besides a sheet covering the other's lower half, his body was completely exposed. "Lelouch, why are you naked?" He asked before he blinked a few times, finally beginning to wake up. He then looked down and blushed tremendously, seeing his family jewels and cane staring back at him. He grabbed another sheet and covered himself. "And why am I naked? Were...Were we in bed together?" He asked frantically.

The raven topped boy could only answer by nodding his head shakily. The two stared at each other in horror before turning their heads toward where their female companions were nestled neatly under their covers. Cici's face was pressed into Kallen's neck, her fingers wrapped tightly around the other woman's night shirt. Kallen's arms were around the other's waist and one hand was tangled in her lime green hair. "Kallen! Cici!" They both snapped wrathfully. A little blonde head poked up from behind the girl's sheet covered legs, large brown eyes blinking lazily. They noticed he was wearing a lop-sided business man's hat, one of his furry yellow ears hidden from view by the black hat. He looked at them lazily and then laid back down, letting out a low huff through his nose as he watched the two boys. "Wake up, you idiots!" The two snapped in unison again.

Cici opened her eyes slowly, blinking a few times, before her sight landed on them. She yawned with a little grin on her lips. "Well good morning, newly weds," She mused lightly, disentangling herself from Kallen and sitting up. She picked Cheese-Kun up and kissed him. "Did you have fun being a little ring bearer last night? Did you?" She asked cheerfully. The little puppy's tail waggled furious and let out cute little yips in delight.

"You let us get _married_? Why would you let me marry _Lelouch_? Are you a complete _idiot_? It's _Lelouch_ we're talking about!" Suzaku snapped angrily, one of his hands slapping his forehead. Lelouch winced, Suzaku's words a jab in his chest. It really stung that, despite them being friends, Suzaku had to react like this about it. His pain quickly turned into rage, however. How dare Suzaku treat Lelouch like this, after all he'd done for the stupid jerk and his wedding? Lelouch stood, snatched his clothes from his suitcase, which was resting nearby, and stormed off to the bathroom.

"So sorry you married me while we were both wasted last night, Suzaku! I mean,_ too bad you didn't marry some bitchy slut whose vag would have melted your precious family sword like acid_!" He snapped wrathfully before slamming the bathroom door and locking it. Suzaku blinked slowly, realization lightening the color on his vert irises, and he scrambled to his feet. Clenching the sheet to his hips he pounded on the bathroom door frantically, guilt already tugging at his mind.

"Lelouch, I didn't mean it like that! Lelouch? _Lelouch_!" He cried loudly, pawing at the door like a little puppy after being kicked from it's owner's room during dinner time. Kallen sat up abruptly, causing Cici and Cheese-Kun to both look over at her in surprise and curiosity. The red head growled, sleepy sapphire orbs narrowed to dagger-sharp slits, and fumbled over the edge of the bed. She pulled up a white high heel shoe that wrapped around the ankle and chucked it across the room, nailing the brunette square in the side of the head with the slim point.

"Shut the hell up, Kururugi, before I go over there and castrate you!" She bellowed. Cici giggled while Cheese-kun wiggled free and waddled over to his other mother. Kallen glanced down at the furry body and smiled, scooping him up like a baby and rubbing her nose to his cold black one. "Hello baby boy! Oh, what a stylish little hat! It looks so good on you!" She mused lightly, kissing the little black nose and letting the pup's pink tongue assault her chin.

Suzaku sat up and rubbed the now sore spot on the side of his head lightly. "What did you put in our drinks last night, Cici?" He asked softly, glaring at the girl as he got back up. Kallen may have been a petite girl with a pretty face and hourglass figure but _damn_ the girl could turn anything into a deadly weapon. The green haired female glanced over and blinked slowly, an innocent coat coming over her bright amber orbs.

"What do you mean, Suza-Kun? Cici-Chan didn't do anything except give Lulu-Kun and Suza-Kun tasty, tasty drinks! Cici-Chan isn't at fault if Suza-Kun and Lulu-Kun can't hold down their drinks!" She said in a perky immitation of a ditzy little school girl, one finger pushed to her lips in a gesture of child-like charm. He glowered darkly at the faux-innocent female. Cheese-Kun barked lightly, growling a bit at Suzaku, and Cici giggled. "See? Even Cheese-Kun agrees that Cici-Chan didn't do anything wrong! And Cheese-Kun doesn't like Suza-Kun being so mean and blaming others for Suza-Kun's mistakes!" She beamed eagerly. Suzaku sighed heavily before getting back up from the floor, getting his clean clothes from his suitcase and hiding in the closet to change. _'That's right, Suzaku; you'll come out of there eventually.'_ Cici thought smugly before she resumed coddling over her floppy earred puppy.

...

After his shower, Lelouch was still not in a very social mood. Or, at least, he wasn't in a mood to deal with Suzaku. "Lelouch, I said I was sorry! Please stop ignoring me!" Suzaku pleaded sadly, looking up at him with a guilty glint in his eyes. Lelouch glared, then huffed and looked out the window of Naoto's car again. He hadn't uttered a word to anyone since his shower and now the group was on their way to the chapel in hopes of annulling the accidental vows exchanges between the two male's the night before.

_'I knew Cici was up to something. She must have fixed those drinks with something strong enough to completely cloud our judgment but leave our communication skills at a some what decent level. Clever witch,'_ He thought angrily, glaring at the neon green haired woman sideways. She remained blissfully unaware of his wrathful glower. Though she was oblivious, however, Suzaku was not. He looked between the two, wondered what Lelouch was glaring about. Lelouch's glare did signify to the brunette that his theory that Cici was the mastermind whom had orchestrated their ancidental marriage. _'But I shouldn't focus on that right now. We'll get this annulled, head back to Japan, and we'll still have some time to get some of the final wedding plans for Suzaku and Euphemia figured out. I just need to focus on my work and not... I need to keep my own opinion out of this and just remain completely professional. Just relax and remember to focus; this will make Suzaku happy.'_ He thought, closing his eyes and sinking back into the fabric of the car seat. He tried to calm himself, regather his usual sense of inner zen.

It was always so damn difficult now, though, whenever it came to matters with Suzaku's wedding. Lelouch realized he was gay after he had a terrible streak of jealousy when his half-sister and best friend began their courtship. His main reason for being angry at first was because the two started dating secretly and he didn't find out until he walked in on them making out in Euphemia's room. He refused to speak to either one of them for about three weeks, ignoring them and hiding out at Rivalz, a good friend of Lelouch and Suzaku's, until he finally went to a certain club and met Cici. It was because of that he realized his feelings for Suzaku and had been struggling with them for the last five years. Now that Lelouch, being the expert wedding coordinator he was, had been too kind to say no to helping he got to spend his appointments watching Euphemia and Suzaku come to agreements and then do cutesy little couple things with one another.

"Lelouch, please stop ignoring me," Suzaku said with a heavy sigh, snapping the ebony haired male from his silent musing. He glanced over lazily, his eyes narrowed so that he seemed to be glaring to him. Suzaku's eyes were a darker green tint around the edges near his pupils, indicating his annoyance and a small tint of concern. He then leaned his head away and glanced back out the window. "This is getting ridiculous, Lelouch. You know I didn't mean to insult you."

"Well it doesn't matter, Suzaku. We'll have this anulled, we can toss out the rings and then we can return to Japan. You'll get married in two weeks and Euphemia will be none the wiser," He stated in a bored tone, waving a hand dismissively. He was so damn good at brushing things off and even tricking the curly topped brunette. It hurt that one of his only lie-free relationships was now tainted with the things. "Are we almost there? We still have a plane to catch back to Japan, you know." Lelouch stated flatly to the two girls in the front half of the vehicle.

Suzaku sighed, rolled his eyes, and shifted his gaze to the scenery. las Vegas wasn't nearly as impressive during the day as at night; though his only memory of the night-life of the city had been before they'd reached the hotel. The lights had been so stunning, however, and he had been excited about being there... Until he and Cici had begun to fight again. Now it just seemed to be a bunch of men slapping cards against their fingers, crowds of people window-shopping and heavy traffic. He could understand the interest to look at the shops during day but the mystic atmosphere the dazzling lights had created that night seemed lost to warm glow of the sun.

He perked up as they pulled up into the parking lot of a 24-hour chapel with a rainbow colored sign. The neon light-up sign was out but the wooden background was glowing with the radiance of the colors on it, despite the chips and knicks here and there in the paint. "This is where we got married?" He asked in surprise while slipping out of the back seat. The other three people in the car followed suit.

"It was the only place that does same-sex marriages," Cici retorted with a shrug and toss of her hair. Suzaku glared at the back of her head as she began trotting across the black pavement, her high-heeled boots clicking a little bit against the asphalt. Lelouch followed closely after her, Kallen bounding up to walk beside her girlfriend.

When they walked inside they were greeted by a man with a neon orange mohawk in the white robes of a priest. He smiled warmly at them. "Ah, hello again! Is it the girl's turn to tie the knot this time? We usually don't do daytime weddings but since you four were so perky yesterday, I'm willing to throw together a ceremony even though the sun is out! Katie, get the chapel ready! We've got some soon-to-be-newly-weds!" He called back, voice thick with a European accent. Lelouch guessed it was German by the slight harshness to some words he spoke. A woman darted out in a long pink dress, her hair bleach blonde with pink tips at her bangs.

"Oh, it's you guys again! Did you come to give back the wedding dress you borrowed? You looked so pretty in the white dress and heels last night! They really accented the blackness of your hair and made your eyes seem more... Purply!" The girl gushed eagerly to Lelouch, her eyes bright with you. He flinched back a bit and blushed brightly. He had worn the wedding dress? He knew that either he or Suzaku had dressed in drag, given that they'd had to gather up the things from the wedding so they could return them and have the annulment tended to. But to think he'd been the one? That he, Lelouch Lamperogue, had been dolled up like back in high school was completely and utterly nauseating! He had sworn on graduation day that he would never, ever again be turned into a crossdressing puppet for anyone! "We have a whole bunch of pictures from last night! Rudolfo took them and had them developed in the dark room in the back, just in case you came by today to get them!"

"We're not here for anything like that, actually. We need to have the marriage annulled," Lelouch said, clearing his throat and holding up one hand gently. Katie blinked a few times, clearly crest-fallen, then let out a sigh and headed to the back. The man with the mohawk looked at him curiously. "So can we just get to the annulment now?"

"I'm afraid we aren't allowed to do annulments anymore. Some weird legal issue about how people will come here and then skip out on the legal process or something. You're going to have to go to a real jusge and have it annulled," The man explained calmly. Lelouch's eyes twitched and he slammed his hands down on the counter, causing the man to jump in surprise.

"What do you mean? He and I can't be married! This isn't some stupid joke; he's getting married to my sister in two weeks! So you can either annul this or I swear I'll make you regret it!" Lelouch snapped, his eyes narrowing to dagger sharp slits. The priest and Lelouch began bickering as Katie returned, glancing at them and then offering a packet to Suzaku.

"Here. You may not want the pictures right now but... Well, who knows? Maybe you'll be able to look back at them and laugh later of something like that," She suggested with a little hopeful smile. Suzaku opened his mouth to protest but clamped it shut when he saw the look in the poor girl's eyes. He knew that she sincerely thought he'd like to have these pictures to look back on some day so he nodded, taking the packet and feeling a little less guilty at the brillant smile she flashed him.

...

"We've apologized to you guys, like, seven times already. Can you just get over it? We didn't know that you wouldn't be able to annul this thing so soon," Kallen grumbled angrily as she watched Lelouch pace. They were in the airport waiting on their flight back to Japan. After nearly starting a physical dispute with the guy at the front of the chapel, the raven topped male had been dragged out by his accidental hubby while the young female assistant, Katie, helped restrain the priest. Now Kallen was sitting on a bench next to Cici, watching Lelouch walk back and forth frantically. He was clearly deep in thought, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes screwed shut tight, and ignoring the female's multiple attempts to soothe him. Suzaku was sitting on the other side of the bench looking down at the packet of pictures; he hadn't opened it, of course, but merely stared down at the rainbow colored envelope as if it held some kind of secret. Cici, on contrary to her girlfriend, seemed more involved with adorning their little Cheese-Kun with as much attention as possible before he was forced into his kennel and into the pet area for the whole flight.

"Leave the idiot alone, Kallen," Cici said while holding up their little pup, "because we both know that he's not going to stop until he's come up with a solution to his little predicament. Besides, what do we have to be sorry for? It's not our faults." She said bluntly. Suzkau was snapped from his mental musing and he turned around, looking at her sideways.

"Did you just say this isn't your fault?" He asked skeptically. She perked up, golden eyes glinting with something wicked, before she gave a sly smirk and nodded in response. "You're the one who gave us the drinks that made us do this! And not only that, but you were totally sober! You should have stopped us, whether you knew we wouldn't be able to get the marriage terminated or not! You should have recognized that we weren't in a state of mind that permitted us to make those kinds of decisions logically! Hell, I'd never marry Lelouch in my right state of mind!" He snapped in a tone so loud and angry that anyone on their floor of the airport would have heard him.

Cici had to hand it to Suzaku; he was the best at shoving his own foot in his mouth. His words caused Lelouch's pacing to stop and an eerie silence to swallow them all up. Slowly, ever so slowly, Lelouch head turned and his eyes opened, glinting in an onyx glow in the light with his rage. Suzaku blinked and what he said finally dawned on him, his own eyes widening and taking on a more jade green tint. "If that's how you really feel I'll give you your space. You can sit next to Cici on the plane ride back to Japan," He said in a dark, frightening tone before snatching up his suitcase and storming off. Suzaku readied to get up and pursue the other, hoping to try and repair the damage, but was stopped when Cici held up a hand. She set Cheese-Kun in Kallen's lap calmly as she stood.

"You're no good when it comes to matters involving Lelouch, Suzaku. I'll go talk to him and try to calm him back down. You stay here with Kallen so she can stop you from screwing anything else up," She said calmly. Though the young brunette said nothing her words felt like a stab to his heart. _He_ was _no good at dealing with his best friend_? How was that even _possible_? He'd known Lelouch seven years longer than she had! But as he watched her pursue him, watched how the other male's defenses seemed to already go down just by her touching his shoulder as she caught up and matched his pace, he realized that somewhere over the years he had lost the close bond he'd shared with the young Brit.

"When... When did they get so close? I've always been Lelouch's best friend, Kallen," Suzaku sighed as he walked around and sat next to her, dropping his head into his hands and resting his elbows on his knees. The other glanced at him, her fingers lightly massaging her puppy's head while her sapphire orbs took his appearance in. He looked so... defeated, so devastated.

_'Was Cici... __**actually right **__about them? Is it possible Suzaku really __**does**__ love Lelouch, but doesn't realize that's what it is?'_ She wondered in bewilderment. Now, Kallen loved her girlfriend to death but she had to admit the other was usually wrong about matters involving other peoples' hearts. She sighed heavily and looked at Cheese-Kun, chuckling when she saw he was still sporting his little gentlemen's hat. Clearly Cici hadn't been kind enough to return that to the chapel earlier. "What do you expect, really? Cici was the one who helped Lelouch come to terms with his own sexuality. There's bound to be a deep sense of trust and gratitude there. Not only that but you did neglect to tell him that you were shacking up with his older sister right under his nose and then, after it was revealed, spent more time with her than him. Sure, you live in an apartment with him but you rarely talk to him. You only chat with him when you need to talk to him about a problem in the relationship or, as more recently, about things for your wedding. You just need to face the fact that there's still some strain between the two of you because of the fact you never made amends for the breach in trust all those years ago and now, due to an accident, you've insulted him and definately injured his pride. You need to try finding the source of the problem in your relationship and see if there's any way to repent for it." She said in a calm tone while holding her little dog's paws up gently and guiding him through the caramelldansen clip motions.

"Wow. That was really insightful and deep. I never realized how analytical you were," Suzaku said to her in slight surprise. He sat up a bit more straight and looked at Kallen. A small smirk twisted up her lips as she continued to make her little pet dance as if he were a rag doll.

"I'm not; I've just been reading Cici's phychology textbooks when she's refusing to put out," The red-head responded calmly. Suzaku blinked then shook his head with a small sigh.

"You two really are quite the pair, I have to say," He stated while looking back down at his hands.

End

Okay, I hope this chapter made up for the disappointment of the last one. I know, I know; I didn't really deliver last time but I think this one was up to my usual calliber. Also, Kallen isn't really mistreating Cheese-Kun by making him do cute little dances. You see, he's an attention whore and is just grateful that someone is playing with him at all. Just wanted to clear that up so no one though Kallen was a puppy-abuser; he likes it so it's okay. Well, I hope to see you all next time and can't wait to hear your two cents on this chapter! Until then, I wish you all the best!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot. Also, there is a joke in part of this chapter that I came up with because of a Dane Cook comedy skit, so I don't really own that. Any parts from the skit will be outlined.

Chapter Four: The Homecoming

The plane ride was rather unamusing. Suzaku was bored out of his mind since Kallen slept and Lelouch was adamently ignoring him. He wouldn't even let him borrow a book to read. Cici had glanced back at Suzaku with a look on her face that just screamed, "What are you, a total moron?" He tried staring out the window but watching the white, fluffy clouds that crept by was only amusing for so long.

When the flight was over he tried to talk to Lelouch again but was brushed off with the greatest of ease on the raven haired male's part. Lelouch had simply grabbed his luggage, yanked it off with clear difficulty, and then headed off to locate the car they'd taken to get here. Having been ignored again the young Japanese man merely sighed, grabbed his own baggage, and headed to the front to wait with their female companions. Lelouch was going to drive the car over and pick them up so that they didn't all have to walk across the parking lot in the warm dusk air. "You should just give him some time to relax and recooperate before you try talking to him, you know," Cici stated flatly, holding Cheese-Kun close with one arm and straightening his gentlemen's cap with the other.

"Well I guess I just don't know him as well as I used to. But it's good to know we've got you, the Lelouch specialist, here to clarify what I should and shouldn't be doing," Suzaku growled out sarcastically. He knew it wasn't really fair of him to be rude to the green haired woman but he didn't care. He was, in all honestly, actually jealous that she had built a relationship with Lelouch that was apparently closer than the one he once shared with the other. Cici glared at him, light yellow eyes gleaming almost orange in the light.

"I'm just doing what I do best. After all, friend's are always there to support one another and always tell each other the truth," She said back flatly, her words leaving the curly brunette gaping at her. She had taken a cheap shot, she knew, but she wasn't in the mood for Suzaku's attitude. Was it her fault that Lelouch was mad at Suzaku for a completely valid reason? Was it fair for him to lash out at her for just stating a fact? Of course not; and she knew that he knew it just as well as her. "But then again, that's just my opinion." She said while flicking a few strands of her neon hair over her shoulder.

Kallen looked between the two of them worriedly. Though neither one of them would admit it they were similiar to each other in their feelings toward the raven haired male. Both of them were adamently loyal to Lelouch and cared deeply over him, though only one of them knew all of his emotional baggage. Where Suzaku would dance around Lelouch's feelings and hide things that he feared could hurt the other, Cici would be straight-up and, quite frankly, rather blunt with her recounts of occurances. She understood that Lelouch wasn't an ignorant little child while Suzaku seemed to only see Lelouch as the ten year old boy he'd befriended so long ago. _'Is that why he hasn't realized how he feels about Lelouch? Because he won't see Lelouch for who he is now?'_ The red haired woman thought to herself. She then shook her head, unable to believe that she was actually thinking about it all in an emotional way. She wondered briefly if perhaps her ever analytical girlfriend was beginning to rub off on her in more way than one.

The three perked up when the car pulled up. The trunk popped open at the push of a button on the inside by Lelouch's command and the three shoved their own bags in with his. Cici shoved the puppy kennel in and then slipped into the passenger side with Cheese-kun cradled in her arms. Suzaku was tempted to snap and argue that he get shotgun but realized that Lelouch was probably still fuming mad and slipped into the back seat with Kallen wordlessly. Something told Suzaku that this car ride was going to be way too similiar to the palne ride he'd just been forced to suffer through.

...

"Hey, Euphy," Suzaku said cheerfully as he sat on the couch in the front room of the apartment. Lelouch was locked up in his room and the girls had taken Cheese-Kun out for a walk/ potty break. He had changed into some old mesh shorts and a regular t-shirt just in time for his beloved fiance to call and see how he was doing. Her call was definately just the cheering up he needed given the events of the previous night. "How was your time with Cornelia?" He asked. While Suzaku had gone out with Lelouch, Cici, Kallen and, technically, Cheese-Kun, Euphemia had gone out with Cornelia and one of her friends, Anya.

"It was pretty fun. We just went out for dinner, saw a movie, and had a few drinks. It was really pleasant, actually," She said happily. He could hear her shift and relocate herself somewhere else in her own apartment. She most likely wanted to sit and chat for a while and wanted to be comfortable. "What about you? Do anything crazy at Vegas?" She giggled out lightly.

Suzaku debated for a moment over whether or not he should tell Euphemia about his current predicament. He decided against it after a second; why drag her into something that would be taken care of soon enough anyway? "Well, we watched Lelouch win at a whole bunch of gambling and such. It was hilarious because he was drunk," He said with a little chuckle. He could push the truth a little bit, couldn't he? Kallen and Cici had been kind enough to tell them some of the things that had occured while Lelouch and Suzaku were inebriated.

"Really? I guess this just proves what a genius Lelouch really is to be able to win at gambling even out of his normal state of mind," She giggled lightly. He heard the small clatter of dishes, indicating she was either gathering her glasses and bowls for a load or was getting a dish down for something. "How much money did Lelouch win, anyway? And did he spend it all or did he remember to save it all, despite the alcohol in his system?"

Suzaku opened his mouth to answer but felt it clamp shut again as he looked up to see none other than Lelouch leaning against the doorframe to the hall. Deep amethyst orbs glinted with rage, his pale pink lips were twisted downward in a scowl, his arms were crossed over his chest and his very aura seemed to shriek fury. "Uh... Euphemia, I'll call you back, okay? I need to take care of something. I love you," He said hurriedly.

"Oh, okay. I love you too, Suzaku," She said before hanging up. Suzaku snapped his phone shut and slowly looked up, guilt coating his deep emerald orbs. Lelouch's eyes narrowed even more at the look he was awarded with; Suzaku was imitating a dog that had just pissed on the rug and was getting a meaty index finger wagged at them. The big difference was that Lelouch was not a dog trainer and Suzaku was not a puppy who had used Lelouch's rug as a bathroom.

"Nice to know that my best friend is above lying to his fiance, who is also my older half sister, about the events of last nice. It's great to know you've totally got my back," Lelouch quipped out sarcastically, rolling his eyes to add to the point. He then glared back at Suzaku, his arms unfolding and his hands finding his petite hips. "And by the way, that was sarcasm. I know how dense you can be." Suzaku's nose wrinkled a little bit and a slight scowl came to his face, matching the one of the ebony haired male's face.

"You're not being fair, Lelouch," He said angrily, standing up. Whenever the two of them fought and one of them had been sitting they'd stand; most likely feeling that if they got higher up than the other they could win by being domineering. It was something similiar to how dogs showed who was in charge in a way. "Do you expect me to just strsight up tell her I got shit-faced and married you?"

Lelouch rolled his eyes again, this time making it that much slower and more dramatic. "Maybe you should tell her, just in case we can't get this anulled in two weeks? At least than she'd be able to agree to postponing the wedding until it's all taken care of without being kept in the dark," Lelouch huffed calmly. Suzaku growled a little bit.

"I'm not going to postpone the wedding because of this! And she doesn't need to know about this; nobody needs to know about this! I don't need everybody knowing I married you, of all people!" Suzkau snapped angrily. Lelouch felt his eye twitch a bit and a headache began to brew. The brunette before him was going to drive him to homicide with the way things were going; Suzaku's insults were starting to really get on his already thin nerves.

"Of course, Suzaku, just cover the problem up! That's how you solve everything!" He retorted with a heavy sigh, his hands dropping from his hips and flailing in the air uselessly for a moment. One of Suzaku's brows raised slightly, a look of honest interest and confusion crossing his tanned face.

"What are you talking about? When have I ever tried to hide anything from anyone?" He asked cautiously. Lelouch fed him a stunned look, as if Suzaku had suddenly sprouted fairy wings, antennas, big and black bug eyes and his hair changed from its rich dark brown to a vivid and rather proud orange tint.

"Really? Okay, let's see," Lelouch said in a mock-cheerful tone while holding up one finger, "first there was the whole Hey-Lelouch-I'm-Going-to-Date-Your-Older-Sister-Behind-Your-Back-and-not-Tell-you-Until-you-Catch-us-Making-out-in-Euphy's-Room-Okay? situation! Oh, and how can I forget the You're-Gay-so-I'm-Going-to-Pretend-to-be-Super-Busy-with-Classes-Because-I-Feel-Uncomfortable scenario? And then there's the facts your parents didn't even know Euphemia and I were half-siblings until about three weeks ago! Thanks for telling them about that; your father looked absolutely revolted that she and I were related! Then again, out of the things you could have lied to them about you decided to be completely forth-coming with my sexuality, despite knowing your father is quite the adament homophobe!" After Lelouch's lashing out Suzaku flinched a bit, blinking at the now panting and snarling British boy standing before him.

"Did you ever think I did those things for a reason?" The Japanese youth retorted in a completely calm and collected tone. The gears turning in Lelouch's poor brain suddenly skid to a stop due to this new information causing his computer-like processing to run into overdrive and crash hard. Was that really what he was going to say in his defense? Honestly? Lelouch took in a deep breath through his nose and released it, letting his arms drop and sag at his sides uselessly.

"You know what? I'm done with this. I'm not going to get anywhere because you're just stupid like your father," Lelouch said in a calm yet worn-out tone of voice. He then calmly turned on his heels and retreated to his room, massaging his temples with his index and middle fingers in hopes of soothing the dull throb beginning to pulse behind his eyes. His door shut quietly behind him and he left Suzaku to set and ponder over what the other had said.

The other male flopped back over the couch and chuckled lightly. _'__What did that even mean__? My dad's the Prime Ministor of Japan, for crying out loud! Geez, that Lelouch... Maybe he isn't as smart as everyone credits him for,'_ He thought with a little chuckle. He leaned back on the couch, still chuckling, and relaxed. After all, he had been the one to win the fight. Lelouch had backed out and gone back to his room, meaning he won, right? But slowly the chuckles died away and he began to pick apart what the other had said. _'He really is an idiot... I mean, heh, how... How is my dad an idiot? And how does that reflect on me?' _He sat there, turning the phrase over a few more times. He then growled, his mind clicking back into rage, and stood, beginning to angrily pace around the room. "My father is a brillant man!" He suddenly yelled in the direction of the hallway. He didn't know if Lelouch was listening or even cared what Suzaku had to say but he was going to make sure that his voice was at least recognized. "He's the Prime Minister of Japan, Lelouch! You know what that mean? He helps create peace and joy in this country! Have to be pretty smart to be able to keep peace and joy with other countries, huh? Whose the real idiot here? My father is brillant and I'm pretty damn smart too!"

While rambling on Suzaku didn't notice that their two female roommates had returned from walking their dog. Kallen was holding the little black leash in her hand, one eyebrow raised at Suzaku. She had a look that just said she was questioning his sanity. Cici was carrying their little gold pup, who had probably gotten tired when he saw the stairs they'd have to climb to get to their home on the third floor. Cheese-Kun's head was cocked to the side, ears perked up, and his tongue was lolling out to the side as he panted lightly. The woman holding him, however, was snickering a little bit. "It seems like something fun happened while we were out, for Suzaku to be screaming at the hallway lights like a lunatic," She chimed lightly, an all-knowing grin turning up her lips as Suzaku's face turned the shade of a rip tomatoe.

...

Lelouch perked up from his book a little bit and chuckled lightly, shaking his head at the sound of his roommate shrieking at him. _'I guess that comedian was right; that comment always works on frustrated guys. I'll have to remember that for future use,'_ He thought with a little chuckled before calmly turning pages in his book and returning to tuning the brunnette he was secretly in love with out of his mind. He didn't want to be drive mad by his feelings, after all.

...

An hour later Lelouch waltzed out of his room and headed to the kitchen, pulling a large binder from a shelf on his way. Suzaku, who had calmed down and settled on the couch to watch some TV, perked up and looked at the other when his back was turned. "Are you making dinner?" He asked after quickly clearing his throat. Lelouch glanced over his shoulder at him, a hint of annoyance in his deep violet eyes.

"I was going to make som food for myself. If you want me to cook for you than you'll have to get in here and help me," He stated bluntly before setting the binder down on the counter and beginning to look through, debating on what he was in the mood to make. With a small sigh the curly haired boy pushed off of the arm of the couch and walked over. "Get the ground beef, tomatoes, onions, the two biggest pots, the butcher knife and the pasta." Lelouch ordered calmly before shutting the binder again and putting it back on the shelf below the spice rack. He reached up and plucked a few spice jars off the rack and set them down while Suzaku set to getting the other materials.

Lelouch was a master at the art of cooking so it always surprised Suzaku that he'd become a wedding planner rather than a professsional chef. The pale skinned male had a quick memory and only kept the binder of recipes so that his roommates could cook if he was away on business or so that he could look at the pictures he'd taken of the completed dishes to decide what he'd wanted. He also preferred to make as many elements of his meals from hand, being the reason that Lelouch was going to make the spaghetti sauce from scratch with his own little adds of flavor. Suzaku set the ingredients down next to the cutting board Lelouch had retrieved from one of the cupboards. "So... I'm sorry," Suzaku sighed lightly while walking over to a nearby drawer, pulling it open, and getting out the large knife inside.

"Sorry for what?" Lelouch asked in a monotonous tone while rolling up his sleeves and turning on the kitchen tap. He quickly washed his hands with the nearby hand-soap and then began rinsing off the vegetables. Lelouch was nothing if not a meticulous neat freak.

"For everything. I've been saying a lot of really mean things to you lately and if isn't fair of me. I don't know if it's nerves, but it isn't right. All you've tried to do is help me and I just... I guess I've been taking you for granted, in all honest," He said with a little sigh, setting the knife next to some of the freshly washed veggies. Lelouch glanced at him, then chook his head and turned to the cutting board.

"It doesn't really matter. After the wedding I'll probably never see you again anyway," He responded calmly. The Japanese boy's heart faltered, skipped a beat, and he jolted up. His pulse quickened a bit and he looked over at the other male with wide eyes. He could feel himself beginning to panic and his mouth drying up as he thought more about what his friend had just said to him.

"What do you mean? I know I've been really rude lately but does it really mean you don't want to be friends after this?" He asked softly. He felt so terrible, so afraid that he really had completely botched up his friendship with Lelouch. He knew things before them were bad but were they really unfixable?

"No, what I mean is that you already spend so much time with Euphemia, even before when you two were just dating you were pretty much joined at the hip, and you'll want even more time with her after you're married. I mean, you two will be getting a house together and then you'll have a family... You're never going to be free to hang out so I've just accepted it already," Lelouch explained calmly. He sighed, remembering how every weekend he'd listen to the two as they came and went, coming by to watch movies in the living room or Suzaku picking Euphemia up for a Saturday night date while Lelouch sat in his room studying or reading. Of course, after he and Cici became friends he started spending his weekends with her and Kallen. "I mean, at least I'll have Kallen and Cici until they finally decide to tie the knot. And maybe if I'm lucky I'll find someone." He said before cutting a tomato in half. "Could you boil some water for the pasta while I do this? And boil some for the sauce too?" He asked, turning his attention back to the dinner preparations.

Suzaku nodded and did so, his heart thrumming with a dull pain. For some reason the thought of Lelouch's pessimism and the reality of his words stung._ 'But... Why am I so upset? I mean, I haven't hung out with just him in so long... Then again I haven't thought about it at all until recently,' _Suzaku realized as he filled the first pot with tap water. He looked at the cool water that reflected the perfect, stainless bottom of the pot in a tint of cerulean. _'Maybe... Maybe I should try to see if I can make time for him now? Maybe stop him from being so pessimistic?' _He smiled to himself, taking the pot to the stove and turning on the surface beneath it. He was going to find a way to rekindle his damaged friendship while still getting the anullment for their accidental vows.

End

Hooray! I finished this chapter way sooner than expected! I hope you all enjoyed the little spat (which sounded less like best friends and more like lovers for a reason) between our two little boys. Tee hee. Also, please check out my new poll and my profile; it's been updated! Until next time, please tell me your thoughts and check out my poll!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot. Also, the song used is called _Sweet Dreams _by Beyonce.

Chapter Five: Business as Not-So Usual

Suzaku perked up sleepily as he heard rustling in one of the other rooms of the apartment. He glanced at his digital alarm clock, greeted by neon red numbers flashing that it was around seven in the morning. It was most likely Lelouch he realized. He was always waking up way earlier than everyone else and going to bed after the others. He crawled out of bed, not caring to put on some pants of a short, and poked his head out of his room. Lelouch was seated on the couch, lacing up his recently polished black shoes. "Heading out to work?" He yawned, smiling lazily when the ebony haired male jumped and looked up sharply.

"I need to make some calls and file some paperwork before my first appointment," He said calmly, releasing a deep breath as he began to relax again. He then resumed tying his shoes up, switching to the other one. Suzaku watched him, remembering what Lelouch had said the night before. He cleared his throat, deciding to try and make an attempt at repairing the bridge between them. Violet eyes pierced him, slivers of black bangs falling into them a little bit. "Yes?"

'_Whoa... That expression was really... I don't know,'_ He thought in surprise. He then shook the thought away and smiled hopefully at the skeptical male. "Do you think maybe we could get together for lunch today, to hang out and talk?" He could tell, just by looking at the crease that came on Lelouch's forehead, that the other was in slight disbelief. He must have been analyzing if the brunette had any ulterior motives for such a thing. "I was thinking I could treat you as an apology for what I've been saying lately. I don't mean to be a jerk, I just... I don't handle stress very well." He sighed, shifting with discomfort, avoiding eye contact.

Lelouch kept his cryptic, guarded expression as he scrutinized the other. It was quite true; during high school Suzaku had spent many a morning hacking up his breakfast in the boy's restroom because of his fear of tests. He had grown out of the stressful vomiting and grown into lashing out at others, as was the usual response for most humans. Now, Lelouch was used to people snapping, hissing, and even clawing at him; he was a wedding planner for goodness sake! It was just that his resentment, and frustration, over the situation between he and Suzaku had been making the green eyed monster within, that he'd been oh so grand at hiding on a regular basis, that much more powerful with the upcoming nuptials. But he knew that, if he continued his grouchiness, he'd most certainly never see Suzaku again. "Okay, but you're paying for it. And I get to pick where we eat; no complaints from you about," He said finally before picking up his briefcase. If Lelouch wasn't better at resisting impulsive behavior, he would have blushed at the bright grin and thrilled shine that came to that handsome face.

"Awesome! My lunch break is usually around one so I'll head over to the office to meet up with you, okay?" He asked cheerfully. Lelouch shrugged his shoulders, shifting his leather case into the other hand while keeping back any physical reaction to that adorable expression. He realized just how pathetic it was that one little look from the brunette could send him into an internal tizzy; and Suzaku wasn't even doing it intentionally!

"Actually, I may still be off at my appointment so just meet me at the dress shop. That's where I'm going to be. If my appointment runs right on schedule I'll just stay there until you show up," He stated calmly before opening the door. He could hear Suzaku grinning and laughing happily. He forced himself to not get too excited, making sure not to let the little butterflies in his belly flutter around too much; he knew that Suzaku wouldn't be around too much longer.

...

There were very few people in the world over that could feel Lelouch Lamperogue with dread and fear. The one at the top of the list was Milly Ashford, the woman in charge of the Student Council he'd been a part of during high school. Her family owned a bridal gown shop, meaning the girl was taught in the ways of sewing and scamming discount fabrics from family friends, and had put the pale male in more humiliating costumes than he cared to remember. So imagine how he felt to walk in to the office and find his two females employees on either side of the busty blonde, gushing eagerly over something? A part of Lelouch screamed to flee and he even felt his ankles twitch in anticipation for the attempt to escape. "Well, good morning Lelouch! I hope you don't mind that I came by to deliver a little good news!" She said in a cheery sing-song tone. He raised one dark brow, intrigued by her words.

"Milly's going to get married!" Shirley burst enthusiastically, darting over and latching on to the purple eyed male's arm. She looked up at him, yellow eyes all aglow with excitement. "We have to help her plan it! We will help her, right, Lelouch?" She pestered happily. Lelouch chuckled lightly, patting her long tangerine tinted locks with his other hand.

"Of course we're going to help her plan her wedding, Shirley," He said calmly. His eyes shifted from his clingy assistant to his long-time tormenter. "If that's what Milly would like, I mean."

She smirked lightly and casually flicked a lock of hair off her shoulder. "Why wouldn't I want your help, Lelouch? You're the best in Japan," She hummed musically. Something in her eyes seemed to say something secretive, something that Lelouch was curious about. She glanced toward the office door discretely and then back at him, her little smirk not fading in the least.

He caught on from her glance of what she was implying. "So, shall we go to my office and start discussing a little bit? It's never too early to talk about possible themes," He offered politely. She nodded, turned on her heels, and marched ahead of him. He calmly detangled himself from Shirley and smiled at her. "Would you mind terribly running across the street and getting everybody something to drink? Two coffees for Milly and I, a bottle of apple juice for Kaguya, and whatever sounds good for yourself?" He asked her in a hushed tone, offering her a twenty to buy the drinks with.

"Right away, Lulu!" She beamed before darting off happily. He watched her go with a small smile, shook his head and then followed after Milly. Something was nagging at the back of his mind, warning him that she had something up her sleeve.

He entered his office, shutting the door quietly behind him, to be greeted by Milly sitting in his office chair with her feet up. Her face was the portrait of seriousness, a strange look on her of all people, and something in her eyes reminded him of when he was getting a finger wagged at him by his mother. "Glad to see you've made yourself so comfortable in my office, Madam President," He said good-naturedly while removing his jacket. He shrugged it off and turned, his back to her, to place it on the coat rack nearby.

"So when were you planning on telling me that you and Suzaku got hitched in Vegas?" She asked with the casual interest that a detective may use on a suspect. He tried with all his might not to flinch at her words but his body tensed and his shoulders went up a slight bit. He had thought she'd be coming to accuse him of being the one to push Rivalz into proposing to her. "Kallen called me last night and asked me to step in. She wants me to make sure you don't get hurt." She added calmly, answering the question that had popped in his head after the initial shock wore off.

'_Of course,'_ He thought sullenly. He turned and chuckled lightly, his small smile returning. He could defuse this situation with the greatest of ease; Lelouch had always been excellent at giving people the lead around. "What are you talking about, Milly? How would I get hurt because of something stupid that happened while we were drunk?" He asked cheerfully. A concerned scowl came to the woman's face, her eyes looking a little greyer in the light.

"That's exactly the point," She said with a heavy sigh, rising from her seat and crossing the room to him. She reached over and gently cupped the sides of his face, her head cocking lightly to the side. He knew this gesture was more motherly than loving; the perky blonde was over the moon for Rivalz. Despite the facts she'd once been doubtful over whether she and the blue-haired male were really a good match she'd ended up liking having a boyfriend who liked to dote on her but was also manly when it was necessary. "It was something stupid you two did while you were drunk but does it really mean nothing to you? Will you really be unhurt when you have it annulled and then he marries Euphemia?" She pressed gently, eyes pleading with him to be honest.

Her words made the reality of the situation truly crash down on his heart. For years Lelouch had been pining over his best friend, despite knowing the other was head over heels for his older half-sister, and had dreamt, though he was loath to admit it, about being with Suzaku and marrying the other. He had always known those fantasies were ridiculous; Suzaku was with Euphemia and Genbu Kururugi was a very vocal homophobe around his friends and family. Even if the chipper brunette was actually gay he'd never come out of the closet for fear of his father coming to despise him. And even if he was gay, and he did come out of the closet, what were the chances he was actually attracted to Lelouch? He snapped from his little trip down improbability lane and looked back at the stormy blue-grey orbs fixed on him. He set his hands over Milly's gently and gave a small reassuring smile. "I'm not an idiot, Milly. I know that and I'm not going to go getting all butt-hurt when Suzaku marries Euphie," He said smoothly.

"Getting your heart broken and getting butt-hurt are completely different things," She said softly, her tone urgent and even more worried than before. He blinked a few times, stunned by her words, before she sighed and released him from her hold. "We're not in high school anymore. I can see through your lies now, Lelouch." She stated.

"I got the drinks!" The every merry voice of Shirley declared as she threw open the door, a bright smile on her face. She blinked, looking between her boss and her female friend curiously, sensing the tension in the air but not realizing she had, in a way, aided in it becoming suddenly thicker.

"Ah, wonderful Shirley! Give Momma her coffee and a few sugar packets!" Milly said quickly, her usual bubbly self coming out to make the dark aura in the office seem to disappear. Lelouch watched the two interact but was only vaguely aware of the words they spared. He took his own cup, turned to his desk and flipped open his briefcase, pulling out the documents inside. He took set them before him, picked up his pen and took a quick sip of his coffee, not caring in the least how terribly it burned his tongue and throat.

...

Suzaku pulled up to the Ashford bridal store at one o'clock on the dot. His boss, a man by the name of Lloyd Asplund, had a sweet spot for the spirited young Japanese, despite Lloyd being an admitted sociopath. Suzaku worked as a social worker, helping children, women and even men who suffered through abuse. He had asked Lloyd, after dealing with a situation he'd rather not think about, if he could leave a little early because of a lunch appointment. His boss had happily permitted it and declared, waving his hand like a little child to a stranger, "Don't keep her waiting too long now!"

He had felt himself blush over this statement. He had only told three of his co-workers about his engagement, worried that his boss would be teasing him more than usual if he got his hands on the knowledge. Cecile and Anya, two of the colleagues he'd told, had been rather calm about it. Anya had offered her best wishes in her usual monotone and Cecile had giggled then hugged him rather tightly out of joy. Gino was, by far, the one he was afraid would spoil his attempts to keep the engagement under wraps. He had loudly asked questions in front of the water cooler on breaks, not realizing that he wasn't being very inconspicuous until Suzaku chided him, with Lloyd just barely out of earshot. He chuckled a bit as he slipped out of the car, not really angered by the blonde's slip-ups as much as he found them funny.

He entered the shop and spotted Milly Ashford within a second. She was at the counter looking over a bill of some sort. He approached and smiled at her happily. "Hey Milly. Is Lelouch here?" He asked cheerfully, masking his fear that the other had ditched him. She glanced up and grinned impishly at him, setting the bill aside and briskly walking from behind the counter.

"Hey there, Suzaku!" She said happily, hugging him lightly. He laughed a bit at this but hugged her back gently. When they pulled back she nodded her head off to one side. "Lelouch should be over there with his bride and her family, looking over gowns. This girl is terribly picky." She whispered in a conspiratorial tone while leading him over to a small gathering of women in front of a mirror, Lelouch standing a few feet from the pack of estrogen. He perked up when he saw the young seamstress and Japanese boy heading over.

"Sorry, Suzaku. My appointment ran over time a little but I think this last dress will be a real winner," He said cheerfully. They heard a loud, high-pitched squeal followed by the ruffle of fabric. They glanced in the direction to see a woman bursting out, eyes wide with joy. She was wearing a white gown that had one strap on her right shoulder but only revealed enough cleavage to be risqué yet charming. The gown was snug and form fitting to the waist, where it draped to her knees and became ruffled with little tears in it. "Well? Does that work for a jungle goddess getting married, Felicia?" Lelouch asked with a small smile.

"Oh yes! It's magnificent, Lelouch! Oh, but is it within my price range?" She asked with wide eyes, suddenly seeming fearful. Lelouch smiled and patted her shoulder lightly.

"Well, I decided... Your family will cover what they can and I'll pick up the rest of the tab. I have more than enough to cover it and I wouldn't want you to have to settle just because of a price tag," He stated calmly. Suzaku blinked, surprised at the gentle yet sincere smile on his best friend's face. He knew that Lelouch was good at what he did but he had no idea he was so kind and generous. Suzaku, Euphemia had gushed happily over how honest and kind Lelouch had been when they went dress shopping but the young woman never really had a cruel word to spare.

"Oh thank you Lelouch! This is like a dream come true!" The girl gushed happily. Lelouch smiled at her, blinking in surprise when she latched on to him. "You're the greatest in the world, Lelouch." She said tearfully, still beaming brightly at him. He smiled and gently patted her head, pushing her back a bit and pulling out a handkerchief.

"Don't cry now, Felicia. You'll smudge your make-up and you have lunch with your fiancé and his family after this," He teased lightly. She giggled and let him remove the streaks of make-up. "Now, Milly will see where the adjustments should be made and then you'll be good to go. I hope you don't mind, but my lunch appointment is here and I find tardiness painfully tacky." He said politely. She looked over at Suzaku then smiled and nodded, letting Milly lead her off to tend to the last little details. Lelouch walked over, raising an eyebrow at the bright glint in Suzaku's vert orbs. "What is it?" He asked as he approached the door, opening it so they could both slip out in to the afternoon sun.

"I didn't know you did those kinds of things for your clients," He said happily. He watched a small pink mist fan over milky white cheeks. Suzaku was surprised that he found the newfound life in that face to be somewhat attractive. "I never knew you could be so sweet to strangers. In high school you were so much more reserved."

"Yes, well, times change," He said calmly while heading toward the car. Suzaku grinned and unlocked the car calmly. "Given my business I had to learn to be warmer toward people I barely knew as well as their personal preferences and tastes in fashion. Not only that but business is booming. Aside from personal favors, people tend to give me far more than I ask them for as a form of thanks. I don't mind giving her a little bit of extra funds to get her perfect dress. It is her wedding, after all."

"You're so generous, Lelouch. You're really different than you were when we met and during high school," The Japanese boy mused aloud happily, sticking his key in the ignition and letting the car grumble to life. Many things had changed, now that he was actually looking at his friend. Lelouch used to be stubborn, crotchety and generally huffy. The smallest annoyance could set Lelouch off on a tirade but, at the same time, Lelouch was chivalrous to some degree. Throughout high school, their female friends had gone to mind-blowing lengths to humiliate the pale British boy. They had succeeded most of the time and often times, Shirley, the only girl in the group to ever feel the slightest bit of guilt over helping to rope Lelouch into their little game, would apologize. She was always rewarded with a soft smile and a gentle reassurance that he wasn't the least bit resentful toward her for the whole thing. He had even let Shirley down gently, explaining to her that he wasn't interested in any woman and he was in love with a very nice young man... Though, as far as Suzaku knew, he had never divulged the name of this guy who had his heart. He assumed that his friend was good with the ladies because of all his female siblings and, to some degree, Suzaku found it a sort of tragedy that Lelouch had ended up being gay; he could have made some beautiful young woman very happy if he was straight.

"Yes, well, thanks," Lelouch grumbled softly, staring out the window calmly. He rested his rest on the small elbow rest with the buttons and then his head on the heel of his palm. It was a pose that Suzaku had noticed the first day he'd met Lelouch all those years ago, when he sat at his kitchen table, a sour expression on his face.

"_That's why we came here; I'll be playing translator until my mother can get a feel of the language,"_

Suzaku snapped from the small daze, stunned that he remembered that. Why did he remember the exact words Lelouch had spoken the first time he'd taken that pose before him? _'Maybe I'm more attentive than I thought?' _He wondered, glancing curiously at the passenger in his car. "So where am I going, anyway? You're the one picking where we eat." He said to cover up for the fact he was staring, just in case Lelouch had noticed.

...

Lelouch had ended up deciding on a small restaurant downtown he used to frequent with Nina, Cici and Kallen after school. He had been elected treasurer of the gay rights club at school and often got stuck spending a lot of time with his fellow three female officers. Things were very awkward for various reasons (Lelouch being the only guy, Nina's weird obsession with his straight half-sister, Euphemia, Kallen's talk of over-throwing other clubs for more members, Cici's snide little remarks) but the food was always something they enjoyed and could cheer up over. He and Suzaku sat in a small booth seat to the far back, next to a small window and what looked like a fake ficus tree. "So have you ever had anything _other_ than the pizza here?" Suzaku asked with a growing grin as Lelouch's eyes scanned the menu.

Lelouch glared up at him over the top of his menu before setting it down and pushing it to the center of the table. "I will throw that salt shaker at you, Kururugi Suzaku," He warned in a huff, looking meaningfully between the item and his friend's vibrant emerald eyes. His answer was only barely contained snorts of laughter. "You think I'm kidding but I'll throw that thing so hard it'll bruise your head and your poor mother's womb. Do you want that on your conscious, Suzaku? Being the cause of your mother's womb being bruised?" He pressed in a serious tone that he, apparently, thought would be more menacing. It did, however, causing Suzaku to look rather somber looking for a moment before he fell against the table, laughing twice as hard.

"You're so weak you couldn't even crush an ant with your thumb!" Suzaku cackled happily, pounding one fist on the table. Lelouch blushed and kicked under the table and, surprisingly enough, didn't care that everyone around them was whispering and glowering at them. After recovering from his busted gut, Suzaku wiped away a tear and looked at Lelouch appraisingly. "You've really loosened up. Normally if I acted like that you would have stormed off and ignored me for a while." As the young auburn curled male spoke, however, he realized that all his information on Lelouch was saved up from middle school and their first year of high school. After that, he and Euphemia started dating and he was usually hanging out with her.

"Well, after hanging out with Cici and Kallen all the time you sort of become demoralized and tend to not care what people think any more," He shrugged as the waitress walked over, greeting them both with a cheerful, if not somewhat uneasy, smile. He flashed her his award-winning lady-killing smile and melted away her apprehension immediately. "We'll go with one cherry Coke, one regular coke and an order of your breadsticks with marinara as a start, please." He said cheerfully. She quickly jotted it down, tripping over herself as she kept looking over her shoulder upon her exit.

"You remembered that cherry was my favorite," Suzaku said slowly, a small smile creeping up his lips. He hadn't had a soda in... He couldn't even remember the last time! After he started to date Euphie, he'd started drinking things like tea or coffee to help seem more mature and make a better impression on her stern father, Charles zi Britannia. Though Suzaku had always had a degree of hatred for the man he would soon call father-in-law, given the tales Lelouch had told when they became close friends, he still needed to get in the man's good graces to marry his beloved girlfriend.

"I remember a lot of things, Suzaku," Lelouch mumbled lightly, giving a small smile. He had a slightly pleading look in his eyes and it seemed bizarre; Lelouch had never been known to beg, even when they were bratty little grammar school kids. "That's what friends do, right?" This had made that adorable look of joy cross that tanned face again. They spent the time until their drinks and appetizer to come singing with whatever song was playing over the small speakers in the shop.

"Hmm. What song is this?" Suzaku asked when a new one began to play. Lelouch listened for a moment then smirked and nodded his head in time with the song. "Do you know it?"

"Of course I do; they play it a lot at the clubs," He said calmly. He then chuckled and shook his head. "Of course you don't know this song; you've been joined at the hip with Euphemia since high school. You don't do any of the fun stuff like hang out with your friends anymore." The comment was a jab and Suzaku, dubious over whether it was meant to offend or not, merely accepted it. He'd taken a few cheap shots at Lelouch in the past few days so he decided that it was only fair. "I love this song so much though." He hummed before picking up with the lyrics.

_My guilty pleasure I ain't goin nowhere  
Baby, long as you're here  
I'll be floating on air cause you're my, you're my...  
You can be a sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare  
Either way I don't wanna wake up from you_

Lelouch's eyes were half-lidded as he sang along, gleaming a darker hue of violet, and trained on Suzaku's. The other boy was stunned to find that he though this little display on Lelouch's part was rather… Well… Alluring. He forced the blush to remain hidden and snapped back to reality when the casual grin returned to Lelouch's face and he said, "But that's about as much of the lyrics as I know." Suzaku had chuckled lightly and smiled gratefully as the breadsticks finally arrived.

Maybe a little food would stop the bizarre thrum his heart had suddenly taken on.

End

Woo! An early update because you're all worth it! Okay, so I'll be submitting another project or two soon. I'll be doing my best to update frequently and to my usual degree of greatness but I'm still on the hunt for a job. Also, the results of my poll are posted on my profile so check it out! Until next time; tah!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot. Also, this chapter will begin with a flashback.

Chapter Six: Rules of Conduct

_It had to be about two in the afternoon when he first noticed the large yellow moving van across the street. He was usually more observant than that but his training that day at the Kyoshiro Dojo with Tohdoh-Sensei had been much more straining than his ten year old body was used to. He could tell the moment the lady and two small children exited their family vehicle that they were not from Japan and that fascinated him somehow. "Suzaku, what have I told you about peeking at the neighbors?" An irate female voice barked, causing the boy to fumble and drop his pair of binoculars on to the couch cushion he was sitting up in his knees with. He yanked the curtain shut with one hand, turned, and flashed his mother a nervous little grin._

_Kururugi Rin was not a woman to be trifled with, as her young son had learned by this time in his life. His father, the prime minister of Japan, had not only married his mother for her looks; she was stern, strong and intelligent. But at the same time she had a tendency to be terribly affectionate and, when Suzaku had behaved, would coddle the boy like most mothers did. "Mother, there are foreigners moving in across the street!" He babbled quickly, trying to redirect her attention from his disobedience to the thing that had caused him to break the rules in the first place. She eyed him suspiciously for a moment, walked over, and pushed the curtains open a little bit._

"_Hm. Well, I guess we should go introduce ourselves to them, shouldn't we?" She asked calmly before twirling on his heels and heading toward the kitchen. Suzaku climbed off the couch and waited by the door, slipping on his sneakers while he awaited his mother's return. She walked back out calmly, carrying a plate with cookies covered in a plastic wrapping, and raised an eyebrow at the pout she was presented with as she slipped on her own shoes. "And what is that look for?"_

"_Those are the cookies you made for me," He huffed as she opened the door, taking his hand as they headed down the yard. She gave him a stunned look before chuckling and shaking her head lightly._

"_Suzaku, don't be so selfish! I've raised you better than that, haven't I? Be polite and maybe you'll make friends with those two little children. Wouldn't that be nice, hon? You've been complaining that none of your friends live close enough to play with," She pointed out gently, making sure no cars were coming before leading her only child with her across the asphalt._

"_But, Mother, what if they're communists? Father says -"He was cut off by the reproachful look his mother sent his way, her green orbs clear with her displeasure. He looked away, fixing his gaze on the little specks of dirt on the toe of his shoes instead._

"_If you keep listening to your Father's little theories and then vocalizing them, you're going to get tossed in a trash can at school. Do you really want that? To get tossed in the trash can and smell like that icky garbage for a whole school day?" She pressed further as they reached the sidewalk and headed toward the door. His little pout returned and he glared at the little dirt spots now, taking his anger out on them instead of his mother._

"_I'm too strong to get tossed in a trash can," He mumbled, wounded. His mother blinked, then ruffled his hair and knocked on the door gently. It cracked open to reveal a young boy poke his head out from behind it, suspicion on his face. Upon deciding they were not a threat, he opened it wade enough for him to step between the door and the frame to talk with them better. He was wearing a white shirt with a pair of black shorts, his hair an ink-like tint and cut in a bob sort of style a few centimeters below his ears. His eyes, a deep shade of violet, were only slit halfway open as if he was annoyed or bored._

"_Hello. I'm Kururugi Rin and this is my son, Suzaku. We came by to introduce ourselves, welcome you to the neighborhood and offer you some cookies," She said politely. The boy looked them over for a second before muttering a small 'come in' before heading toward the kitchen. The front room was filled with most three or four boxes from the move. They followed him and, as they passed the staircase, he paused and looked up at the giggling figure taking the steps three at a time._

_She was a cute little girl with light brown hair with a bit of a natural wave to it. Her hair was about as short at the boy's only a small portion of her hair was tugged up in little pigtails with yellow bows. She was wearing a yellow dress to match with white ruffle along the edges of the skirt and sleeves. "Nunnally, don't run on the stairs. You could fall and never walk again… Or hit your head and never see again," The boy tsked lightly, eyes softening the slightest bit at the girl. She slipped on a step toward the bottom, yelping before tumbling down on the little boy. "See what I mean?" He huffed from his position below her._

"_But it's so much fun, Lelouch! You should try it sometime!" She cheered before getting up and darting toward the woman in the kitchen. The woman there was wearing a light orange dress, her long hair following after her like an ebony cape. Suzaku blinked, surprised to see a large bruise just below her left eye. The young girl chatted to the woman happily in a different language, which he assumed was their native tongue. Rin smiled and approached the woman, all kindness and gentleness, as she struck up conversation in the same tongue. The woman was a little fidgety but spoke back calmly, smiling and taking the cookies with what appeared to be gratitude._

"_How come they're speaking a different language?" Suzaku grumbled, more annoyed by being left out of the conversation while everyone else spoke it. The other boy, Lelouch as he'd been called, took the cookies from his mother and set them on the kitchen table, carefully peeling off the wrapping. His sister darted to his side eagerly._

"_My mother, unlike Nunnally and myself, can't speak Japanese. She can only speak English and, apparently, your mother can speak it as well," He said calmly, handing a cookie to Nunnally calmly. She giggled, crawled on to a chair, and began nibbling at her cookie with the delicacy and tidiness of a hamster with sunflower seed._

"_And you came to Japan?" He asked skeptically, crossing his arms over his chest. The other looked at him, that analytical glint in his eyes returning, before he picked up another cookie and held it out toward him. Suzaku blinked, emerald spheres shifting to a tint of surprise, before he took it quietly._

"_That's why we came here; I'll be playing translator until my mother can get a feel of the language," Lelouch said simply before calmly taking a seat beside his sister. He twisted his body, however, so that he could face Suzaku easier. "It's easier since Nunnally and I can already speak the language and it gets us out of the rather… complicated and tragic situation we were trapped within."_

_Suzaku looked at his sugary treat for a moment before lifting his head. His expression was all seriousness, causing Lelouch to raise an eyebrow quizzically. "Are you a communist?" He asked bluntly. This resulted in his mother giving him a rather painful smack upside the head and for him to drop his cookie to the tiled floor._

_And it was those words that were the beginnings of a beautiful friendship._

…

Suzaku couldn't help but laugh loudly as he and Lelouch reminisced of their first meeting. Lelouch chuckled politely behind his hand, despite them being parked in front of his office in the sanctity of Suzaku's car. "I honestly thought you were off your rocker when we first met," He mused aloud, shaking his head gently.

"Well, I was listening to my Dad," He pointed out, his chuckles beginning to shift away. Kururugi Genbu was a man of tradition, a man that stuck to his virtues. He was also, Suzaku realized years later, quite a bit racist. He and Lelouch had rarely ever spent their days playing in the Kururugi home because of this fact. Though their mothers' had become fast friends (Marianne teaching Rin about foreign mechanics while Rin taught Marianne Japanese; both the language and customs) Lelouch's father was not around and Genbu had a very strong opinion of the British. Suzaku had never understood this resentment but, at his mother's strict guidance, respected the rules his father put in place while keeping up his companionship with Lelouch and his younger sister, Nunnally. And after Suzaku had started to date Euphemia… Well, his father had ignored him from that day his sophomore year until Suzaku's first year of college! Now things were good but things were still just the tiniest bit strained. "He's… He's not a very good man."

"Just because your father has his own opinions, based on his own experiences, doesn't necessarily make him a bad person," Lelouch stated softly, looking off to the side. This truly surprised the curly brunette; Lelouch was the last person he expected to defend his father! "You've lived a different life, had different incidents, with very different foreigners than your father. He may have been done wrong by the people he chooses to be so resistant to and may be afraid that other people of the same up-bringing could cause him the same pains if he opened his hearts to them."

"Whoa… They must have put something in your soda. Do you think the waitress tried slipping you some roofies, hoping they'd kick in before we left?" He asked curiously, tilting Lelouch's head up to meet his gaze, one hand resting on the paler's forehead. Pink rose to those cheeks, a glaring taking over the uncertainty.

"That waitress wasn't named Milly Ashford, Suzaku," He said flatly. A small pause exchanged between them before they both burst out laughing, their foreheads resting against each other's as they sat and let the giggles consume them. They stayed like that for a brief moment as they began to calm down, finally meeting each other's gaze. They both realized they were close; Suzaku thinking it was nice to act like they had as children while Lelouch silent cursed at himself to move and leave, disengage this physical connection because it was too intimate for their relationship. But, to some degree, he just wanted to pretend that there was no outside world that would later spoil the moment; certainly not the harsh and bitter pill that Suzaku was not in love with him to be swallowed.

"Hey Lelouch, can I ask you something personal?" Suzaku asked slowly, keeping his voice low. He wasn't sure why he felt that his tone should be so muted, so delicate, but it had seemed to fit. Lelouch nodded a bit, their foreheads still connected through the action, but he seemed unnerved, unbalanced. "Who… Who did you fall in love with that made you realize you were gay?" He asked cautiously. Though Suzaku hadn't realized it, those words had broken the spell between them. Lelouch pulled back, sinking into his seat and growling, his hand pressed against his face as he pushed his bangs upward with his hands.

"Why do you need to know that?" Lelouch spat out with just the slightest bit of anger. He removed his hand and glared at Suzaku with the kind of contempt Suzaku had only seen directed at other people, his anger beginning to bubble even more to the surface. "How the hell is that any of your business now, years after the fact?" Suzaku could immediately tell where this conversation was going and he silently berated himself for it.

"I-I'm sorry, Lelouch, I was just really curious and I didn't think-" He stammered anxiously but then he fell silent. That was actually quite right; he hadn't though, just like he never did when he talked to Lelouch anymore. He watched as the other unbuckled himself, opening the door and stepping out. "Did you at least ever tell them how you felt?" Suzaku called after him, this time knowing full well he'd just agitate the other further but deciding he was already in pretty deep. Lelouch paused, leaning in and looked at him blankly.

"No, Suzaku, I never did tell him. It wouldn't have worked out between us; he wasn't gay and he was already happy with someone else," He said in a toneless voice. There was a slight quiver to his words, however, as if there was some type of fear there. He then slammed the door and marched to the door. Suzaku responded by unrolling his window and poking his head out.

"How do you know if you never talked to them?" He called out, watching as Lelouch paused for a moment. It was only, however, for that brief moment before he disappeared into his small building of operations. Suzaku sighed, rolling his window back up and sinking in to his seat. He hated what they'd been subjected to, now that they were adults. This constant dance, this living-on-the-edge relationship, seemed to take over what used to be a relationship full of trust and affection, a friendship that neither would have traded for anything else, real o false, in the world.

Now they were trapped in always taking one step forward and then two painfully long steps backward.

…

Cici hummed lightly, smirking at her spot behind a bar. She decided that she owed Lelouch a pretty big favor since he'd been the one to suggest her for her new position as a bartender at the prestigious Check Mate club. It was really quite pleasant, in her opinion, considering it was the only bar she'd ever been willing to visit when she had her old job. The music, once the moon rose, was always so damn energetic and the rainbow disco ball on the roof made her smile. One of Lelouch's many friends had opened this place shortly after high school and owed the Brit a favor.

During the day, however, this place was rather tame. It was the basement of a hotel, usually used as the reception spot for weddings held in the large meeting floors of the hotels. Currently she was working the bar for one such occasion. She looked at the girl approaching the bar and tensed, her eyes narrowing. "Hello, Euphemia," She spat venomously.

The other woman merely smiled that perfect smile of hers, bubbling with joy. She was wearing a turquoise dress with spaghetti straps that, as much as the green haired woman hated to admit, made the other look rather stunning. Her hair was pulled back into one pink bun and she wore gloves that matched with dress that reached her wrists. "I didn't know you worked here, Cici," She said perkily.

"Yeah, well, it's not really something I'd want you to know," She hissed lightly before leaning on the counter top, closer to the other woman. She looked at her scornfully. "So, what do you want to drink? The sooner you order the sooner you leave me alone."

"Cici, I wanted to talk to you about something," The other girl said, slipping into one of the bar stools carefully. This only caused the other to groan a little more, not in the mood for a conversation. "How about I order a strawberry daiquiri and you just listen to me while you're mixing it?" She offered gently, resting her hands on the table. Cici pushed back, eyes filled with suspicion, and looked through the things behind her, pulling out a small glass.

"Daiquiris are my specialty. You have about three minutes. Start talking," She said bluntly as she set to work. Euphemia swallowed hard before her eyes hardened and she met the amber gaze across from her.

"I know you don't really like me and I don't know why," She said calmly. She fidgeted her fingers for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "I don't understand why, though. I've never done anything to you that I'm aware of. Do you just not think I'm good enough for Suzaku? Lease, Cici, I know you're his friend and I just… I want us to be able to be at least civil with one another, for his sake. So please, if I've ever said or done anything to offend you tell me. I promise I'll apologize and be more sensitive with whatever the issue is." She pleaded gently. Cici didn't know what made her more annoyed; the fact she thought it was about Cici or that she was being so sincere it almost made her feel guilty for being so harsh to her.

"You're just… You're too sweet and blind and naïve!" She snapped angrily. Euphemia blinked a few times, clearly thrown off this little outburst. Cici finished the drink then poured it in the glass and shoved it at Euphemia's glove clad hands. "First things first, I'm not Suzaku's friend. I personally thing the guy should take a swan dive off a cliff sometime. Second, I'm not hostile toward you because you upset me. You may not have realized it, Euphie, but you're really hurting Lelouch. Stew over that before you try to talk to me about any of that." She growled in a whisper before turning to the next customer, all smiles and kind words.

Euphemia walked away, sipping her drink and thinking over the words, trying to piece them together.

End

Cici was somewhat OOC this chapter but… I'll just say that it's the nerves of her first day and her feelings about Suzaku and Lelouch's relationship being hindered by Euphemia's presence. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Also, I'll upload the first chapter of the winner of my poll with my next update! I expect you to all read and review as usual!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Chapter Seven: Loathing of the Mirror

It had been three miserable days since the little blow-out in Suzaku's car. Lelouch had worked longer hours in the office and gone in earlier than usual, just to avoid Suzaku, and the young Japanese boy didn't seem like he was really complaining. He considered this to be his punishment for acting so thoughtlessly when he had spoken the other day. He hadn't thought about what the question would do to Lelouch; he'd been too wrapped up in getting an answer as to who the boy had been so head over heels for.

Kallen was home on the couch, rubbing one of Cheese-Kun's fluffy little ears between her fingers while he nuzzled in to her stomach. She watched as Suzaku struggled with his tie, unable to get it on right, before letting out an annoyed snarl and yanking it off, almost ripping the fabric. "What's wrong with you now?" She asked as he sank into a nearby lounging chair. He glanced over, his jade spheres the picture of misery, and for a moment she was surprised. She had never seen Suzaku look this terribly distraught. "Okay, seriously, what's wrong with you?" She asked, gently moving Cheese-Kun so that she could sit up. With a little whine of disapproval upon his master's attention shifting, the little pup hopped down from the couch and wandered over to his water bowl, batting at the water and making a mess on the tile in hopes of getting some attention. It didn't work.

"I said something really stupid and offended Lelouch. Now he's avoiding me," He sighed lightly, looking away again. Kallen leaned over on the couch to better look at him, snapping her fingers at him. He looked up at her curiously.

"What did you ask him? Whatever it was, I'm sure that he's just overreacting and if you just apologize he'll get over it," She stated calmly. Suzaku sighed and ran one hand through his hair, as if debating on whether or not to talk to Kallen about the problem between him and his best friend. "I mean, come on; it's not like you asked him what it feels like to take it up the pooter or anything like that, right?"

Suzaku's cheeks turned bright red and he looked at the jeering icy eyes. "What? No! I didn't ask him anything that personal!" He snapped, feeling his ears blazing from embarrassment. Cheese-Kun, bemused by his owner's newfound fixation with the red human, decided to try getting attention again by throwing his head back and letting out a little howl, front paw still in the water bowl. He was, again, ignored. "I asked him who it was that made him realize that he was… Well, you know… That way." He mumbled slowly.

Cheese-Kun's ears went straight up at the high pitched noise Kallen released when Suzaku admitted what he'd actually asked. She stared at him, standing suddenly, eyes wide and mouth agape. She then sunk back on to the couch, her legs falling out from beneath her, her gaze still locked on Suzaku. "Wow… Really? Did it come up in conversation or did you just kinda decide to bring it up with apparently no real reason?" She asked after a moment, most likely taking the time to regain herself. "I mean, if you just asked it out of the blue than I can see why he's so upset but…" She stopped at the look on Suzaku's face. She sighed and face palmed; this guy wasn't very smart, was he? "Okay, this might be a little harder to take care of."

"You're telling me. I made a total ass of myself and there's no way I can make it up to Lelouch any time soon. I mean, there's the wedding to plan, we still need to get the annulment out of the way… It's just such a shitty thing," He grumbled while throwing an arm over his eyes. Kallen blinked then raised an eyebrow at him quizzically.

"Why are you all dressed up anyway? I thought today was your day off?" She asked as she stood again and stretched. She had no idea how to cheer Suzaku up now or what kind of advice to give him. She assumed a change of subject should save her from having to try and lie through her teeth or offer some half-assed bull shit suggestion of what he should do next.

"It is. I was going to go visit my mother and talk to her, get her advice on some stuff," Suzaku said calmly, relaxing back into his seat. Shortly after Suzaku got out of college his parents told him they were going to split up. He'd been surprised but later he understood; his parents simply weren't in love like they thought and had grown apart over the years. There was, luckily enough, no animosity within his family and they had both remarried. His stepparents were both of the agreeable sorts, which he saw as another blessing. "Maybe she can give me insight on how I can keep Euphemia ad I from drifting apart in the later years."

"Maybe you should try talking to her about your issue with Lelouch. She hangs out with Lelouch's mom all the time, right? She might be able to give you an idea of how to patch things up with him," She said quickly. She didn't want to sound mean for trying to push Suzaku's problems on someone else but figured it was fair enough; mothers were supposed to help their children, after all. His eyes lit up at the suggestion.

"That's a great idea! Thanks, Kallen," He said happily before darting off. The young woman sighed, shook her head and started toward the kitchen for a drink. She ended up slipping on a large puddle of water and landing flat on her ass. She blinked and looked over to realize that Cheese-Kun, in his desperation to get some attention, had knocked over his entire bowl of water. She growled, eye twitching, at the happy little figure heading toward her, entire body wriggling from side to side with the ferocity of his tail's wagging.

…

Kyoshiro, once known as Kururugi, Rin was sitting in the quaint little living room of her house, enjoying the morning sun and breeze creeping in through the open windows. She smiled and let out a content sigh at the taste of the jasmine tea she had brewed for herself and her current company, Marianne Lamperogue. "So Nunnally called you today? How has she been?" Rin asked conversationally, setting her tea cup down on the table delicately.

"Oh, she absolutely loves working at the hospital dealing with the babies and the expectant mothers," The other woman hummed lightly, setting her own cup down as well. Nunnally, with Lelouch's help, had planned out her entire high school career so that she only had to attend two years of college before she was certified to be a midwife. In fact, she hadn't necessarily needed the two years of college, as soon as she accepted her diploma she was technically a certified nurse but the young girl had always had a sweet spot for infants. And her gentle, maternal nature was absolutely perfect to help her be one of the best in the business. "And her boss even agreed to let her take the day of Euphemia and Suzaku's wedding off.

"Ah, yes, their wedding," Rin said, glowering at the liquid steaming in her cup as she spoke. That son of hers… He had only called her once since his engagement and it was only to ask her if she had a yellow dress for the wedding and if she could pay for the wedding cake. Ever since then, she'd only gotten information pertaining to the wedding from Lelouch, best man and wedding coordinator extraordinaire. She had tried to call Suzaku and Euphemia both but they were always too busy to pick up their cellular phones. "That son of mine… He's going to make me kill him, I swear. I love him to death but ever since his balls dropped and his hormones kicked in…" She sighed and shook her head. She took another deep breath, trying to remember what Tohdoh was always telling her about relaxation. She had become surprisingly more calm and collected since her divorce from Genbu and marriage to the kendo instructor.

Her growing sense of Zen was completely undone when her front door suddenly flew open to reveal none other than her curly topped offspring standing there, panting and clinging to the doorframe and the knob as he wheezed out, "Mother, I need your help!" Slowly she turned her head, eyes closed to match her smile while a vein above her eye throbbed angrily.

After taking a throttling and scolding from his mother, Suzaku sat on his knees at the table with the older women, four rather large lumps poking up from the back of his head, and comical wavy tears dripping down his cheeks while he smiled nervously. "I've really missed you, Mother. I've just been so busy with work and planning the wedding and a whole bunch of stuff that I haven't found the time to call. I probably should have asked before just stopping by, however. I didn't think that you may already have some company," He said softly while Rin set an empty cup in front of him and filled it from the nearby pot. He glanced up when he felt her fingers smooth through his hair, moving his bangs, and then her lips gently finding his forehead.

"Oh, baby, no matter how old you get you'll always be my little Suza-Kun and you'll always be welcome in my home," She said gently against the skin of his forehead. Suzaku blinked then smiled and closed his eyes peacefully, just letting himself relax into the all-familiar position with his mother. "I'm just glad Marianne was here and Tohdoh was out. How embarrassing would it have been if you walked in on Mommy banging her husband on the living room floor?" She laughed as she sat back, ignoring how her son blushed and stuttered in response.

"M-Mother! There are just something's you don't need to tell me!" He shrieked in horror, his tone a whole three or four octaves higher. The two older women merely laughed heartily at this, Rin falling over on her side and kicking at the air while Marianne, the more reserved and polite of the pair, merely giggled behind her hand, the other discretely wrapped around her stomach. He sat there, ears burning and indignant, until the two gathered themselves once more, before divulging the current situation to the pair. "So now I don't know what to do." He said finally, sighing and then sipping his now lukewarm tea.

Marianne and Rin exchanged worried glances. "So you married Lelouch while he was drunk? Now you have to get it annulled and he got mad when you asked him who he was in love with that made him realize he was gay?" Rin asked, hedging down the report to a clip notes addition. Suzaku nodded and sighed heavily again.

"Oh my. Lelouch has always been very sensitive to that matter; he never really got over that first love, in all honesty," Marianne sighed, gently resting a hand on her cheek in dismay for her son's feelings. The only present male's head snapped up, vert orbs wide with shock.

"He never got over it? But… But he dated a whole bunch of guys during college and seemed pretty happy with them for a while!" He declared quickly. Marianne gave him a weak little smile, almost as if she pitied him and his naivety.

"Why do you think none of those ended up working out? He dated those other guys to try and forget the only relationship he wanted and could never really obtain," She stated gently. Suzaku felt another brick being placed in his wall of self-loathing. Of course Lelouch tried dating other people to get over the first; that's what all sensible people did when they pretty much got dumped. And Suzaku should have been there to support his best friend in that most difficult time. He was beginning to resent himself even more for the predicament.

"I think he's overreacting," Rin scoffed flatly, sipping her tea. She raised an eyebrow at the stunned looks both her companion's shot her way. "I'm not kidding. Marianne, your son should have been born with a vagina. He has more emotions than I do and I'm a full-fledged woman!" She snapped quickly in her own defense. Marianne's cheeks flamed to a red the same hue of an apple at the words.

"My Lelouch is just a very sensitive soul!" She rebuked sharply, deep cerulean orbs turning a bit darker as they narrowed to a glare. Rin merely rolled her eyes and snorted.

"Oh please! Sensitive or not, your kid may as well be a girl! It is not physical possible for any boy to look as insanely pretty as yours in a dress; gay or otherwise!" She said back with a smirk at the darkening of the red on her friend's cheeks.

"And what about your son?" Marianne snapped angrily, seeming to forget that Suzaku was sitting at the table with him. "He latched himself on to the first pretty face with a nice rack and set to getting in her knickers!"

"What? My Suzaku isn't some cheap little boy-toy slut like Lelouch! How many men has Lelouch ridden the Hershey highway with now, Marianne?" She barked out with a small smirk. At this, the British woman looked completely enraged, smoke seeming to come off of her head with the heat of the flush on her cheeks. Suzaku cleared his throat and stood, not surprised that neither woman even looked up at him.

"Um… It's been great visiting but I think I'll go try to find out a way to deal with my problem with Lelouch on my own. Thanks for your, um, help anyway. I'll talk to you later, Mom," He said uncertainly, stepping around the table and its occupants toward the door. He paused there, hand on the handle, then looked back at his mother. He smiled a little. "I love you, Ka-Chan." He said with a faint blush before darting off. After he left the two women each took a deep breath and smiled contently, Marianne's face returning to its usual pale glow.

"Phew. That fake fight was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be," Marianne giggled lightly, picking her cup up and sipping the remaining liquid, despite it being cold, and refilled her cup with a warmer variety. "I didn't want to say anything bad about Suzaku; he's always been such a nice, respectful young man."

"Agreed. Your Lelouch has certainly been much more polite to me than that Suzaku of mine," Rin said with a small sigh, filling her own cup back up as well. She smirked a bit at the third cup that no longer had an owner. "It's a good thing Kallen-Chan called and told me what was going on right before Suzaku got here, huh?" She asked happily.

"Yes, it is a good thing. And I'm glad that someone is finally taking the initiative to try and push those two together," The other agreed happily. She nodded her head as she spoke. "It's been obvious to everyone except them that they're made for each other since the day they met. Those boys of ours… They can be truly airheaded sometimes. They must get it from their fathers; we are certainly not that unobservant."

"Well what do you expect? Men are the inferior race when compared to the greatness that is woman," Rin said. She sipped her tea but didn't put her cup back down. "I mean, think about it! Sure, we're the ones who get stuck with the periods, the cramps, the pregnancies, the actual act of child labor… but which of us is more insightful when it comes to the ways of the heart? Sure, some male psychologist can sit in a chair and give reasons for this or that but will he really understand the underline emotion behind something? A female psychologist, however, can! I mean, honestly, men just can't admit that they're good at a lot of physical things but intellectually, mentally and emotional we women are infinitely superior!"

"Not to mention the good old women's intuition. Have you ever heard of the men's intuition? Of course not! Because we women are just gifted with every greater ability under the sun!" Marianne said with stern conviction. She shook her head lightly. "I used to tell my ex-husband that if he kept talking down to Lelouch he'd have a complex and guess what? Now Lelouch has a complex about being superior to all around him and has a pompous attitude to match alongside it!" She pointed out, silently berating her abusive ex-husband for always making her precious son feel so completely incompetent.

"And you know what else? Okay, now, what I'm about to say is the honest-to-God truth," Rin began while lifting her free hand toward the sky, "and I mean it! Hand to God, this is the truth! The minute that the nurses handed baby Suzaku to me I knew he'd end up being gay! And you know what else? I told Genbu so! When Genbu came in, I smiled at him and said, 'Sweetie, our beautiful, wonderful, perfect little boy is going to be an anal brigadier. And he's going to be one Hell of a kid, who'll make us so proud you'll forget all about your homophobia!' He told me that I had to be crazy to think his son was going to be gay! Well, whose right now, buddy?" She laughed mockingly. They both perked up to see a rather perturbed looking Tohdoh standing in the entrance way between the living room and kitchen, carrying his shirt on his shoulder. He'd been tending to the yard and, clearly, he'd worked up quite the sweat.

"I… I am just going to pretend I didn't hear that whole conversation," He said with a small shake of his head before turning and heading off to wash up.

…

Lelouch shifted in the large leather chair uncomfortably. He knew he had to be here to talk about getting the documents for his annulment but he still felt weird about it. Luckily enough, he had been told by Kaname Ohgi, an old client of his who he still chatted with because of the man's position as manager of one the best hotels in country, to come here if he needed legal things tended to on the quieter side of things. Though Rakshata Chawla had come highly recommended, he was still very uneasy about meeting with her.

He jolted out of his thoughts when the door opened and he heard the shuffle of approaching footsteps. He felt a hand snake under his chin and jerk his head backwards, forcing him to look up into teal tinted eyes set in a tanned face. He noticed that she was of apparent Indian descent, given her skin tone and a purple mark in the center of her forehead. Her hair was long and a very light hue of gold that reminded Lelouch a bit of hay or the sands of a beach. She wore a white lab coat, oddly enough, with a red shirt and black slacks underneath. It was far from what he considered the proper attire for a lawyer but let the thought slip away as the woman smiled at him and stepped to lean her hips on her desk. "Well aren't you an adorable little fellow!" She sang in a tone of voice that was higher than he'd been expecting.

"Excuse me?" Lelouch asked, clearing his throat and sitting up a little straighter. He watched as she pulled a pipe from a secret pocket he assumed was inside her coat and place it to her lips. She watched him the whole time with clear amusement.

"Sorry, I just normally don't deal with clients of your… character," She said with a sly smirk. She then twirled around her desk until she was seated in her swivel chair, tilting her head and keeping that grin in place. "So what do you need from me? A fake birth certificate, passport, social security card?" She pressed gently. Lelouch felt a little overwhelmed at her offers. He had always thought Ohgi was on the up-and-up, a man very dedicated to his wife and two month old baby girl. The other man did mention she was an old friend, though, but it still left him rather bemused.

"I just need to have an accidental marriage annulled. Can you give me the documents for that?" He asked after a moment. He watched the woman's face fall a bit, clearly disappointed with such a dull request. "My friend and I accidentally got married in Vegas and he's supposed to get married in a little over a week so we need this to be taken care of immediately." He explained further with a little sigh. She nodded a bit and opened a nearby drawer, seeming to go through it.

"But, you know, is this really what you want? You seem a little resistant to ending it so soon," She mused aloud, making Lelouch flinch. Was he really that transparent that even a stranger such as this woman could tell he was hung up over his sister's fiancé? She sat back up and gave him a little grin. "You're pretty, seem smart, and look like you've got a nice little body under all that stuffy clothing. Why not trying talking to him about everything using body language?" She asked deviously. Lelouch tried to fight of the pink dust he was certain had come to his face.

"He's madly in love with his real fiancé," He said sternly, closing his eyes and trying to think clearly. He then opened them as the woman began organizing some papers together. "And my feelings aren't important. As long as he's happy I don't really care if I end up with the short end of the stick." He said calmly. She gave him a little grin that conveyed what seemed to be sympathy.

"Well, you're more noble than a lot of people, kid," She said gently before picking up her stapler and clipping the papers together. She went through them once more then nodded and handed them over to him. "Just make sure you both sign and bring it back to me in two days. I'll take it to a judge, have it made official, and then you'll both be all set. It'll be completely painless… Well, for your friend, anyway." She said gently. Lelouch nodded and stood quickly, heading to the door. "You know, you could just try going for broke. I mean, at least than you won't have to go walking around without any form of closure. That's too much stress for a pretty little thing like you to put yourself through." She tsked from her seat behind her desk.

Lelouch waved back casually before walking out. He stopped halfway down the hall when he caught a glimpse of his reflection in a mirror. He stopped, making sure to put himself back together for his next appointment, and then paused. He could see that he had a little shadow developing under his eyes from lack of sleep. He silently cursed himself being so weak and foolish, for trying to believe there was a chance for him and Suzaku. He had known all this time, all these years, that nothing could ever grow between them, but now, with this mistake of a marriage, he had somehow wondered if it wasn't a possibility. He shook his head and wished that he really could follow Milly's advice; for once the girl wasn't wrong. But it had been too late from the moment he woke up in bed, naked, married to the moronic brunette he had been taken with for so long.

He turned away, unable to meet his own gaze any longer, and took long strides out and away.

End

Let me just say… I have **REALLY** missed writing Rin in for extended periods of time! I haven't done that since Scatter! The way I've always seen it is Genbu was kind of a stuffy prick, but Suzaku seemed like a relatively normal little kid, so I decided that his mother had to some sort of bizarre to balance it all out and then end up with a (somewhat) sane Suzaku. Anyway, we've got some new development so please tell me what you think and I'll give you more! Toodles!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot. The song used it _She Bangs_ by Ricky Martin.

Chapter Eight: Sign Your Soul Away

Suzaku perked up when the apartment door creaked open slowly to reveal Cici and Lelouch walking in. The green haired girl perked up, looking over to the corner, to see Cheese-Kun locked up in his little puppy kennel, one paw sticking through the bars and a loud whine coming from him. "You better explain yourself, Kururugi," She snarled lowly, walking over quickly and opening the latch. The little blonde dog ran out and hoped on to her knees eagerly.

"He was locked in there when I got home," Suzaku said quickly. Amber eyes glinted suspiciously before picking up the little pup and heading toward her bedroom. After she disappeared the two men looked at each other. Lelouch set his briefcase down on the nearby kitchen table, opened it, and held out some documents. "What are those?" he asked worriedly, not moving to take them.

Lelouch rolled his eyes, set them on the table, pulled a pen from inside his briefcase, flipped to the last page and signed quickly. "I went to a lawyer and had the annulment papers drawn up. There's my signature, now all I need is yours and we can be done with this," He said bluntly, holding the papers out again. The young brunette opened his mouth to respond, a small frown to his lips, but clammed up when the other door opened and Cici's head poked out.

"Hey, tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum, go put on some sexy clothes. We're going to go out to a club and I won't accept no as an answer. We're going to celebrate the fact that Cheese-Kun committed his first act of childhood rebellion against Mama Kallen," She said briskly with a little proud grin. Both boys were confused as to why this woman felt that was a good thing but decided to let it drop. "Well? You can sign those annoying documents when we get back. Hurry up and get ready you two." She hummed before turning and disappearing back into her room. She waited until she heard their footsteps shifting toward their respective rooms before smirking at her girlfriend sitting on the bed and holding their little dog.

"Celebrating the fact that Cheese-Kun made me fall on my ass because he's a little attention whore? You're excuses are starting to become rather ridiculous," Kallen chided with a shake of her head, making their retriever copy her gesture. She was merely answered with a little smirk as the other reached over and ruffled the floppy, silky ears. "You realize that getting them drunk won't work a second time. They won't trust you to serve them drinks after what happened in Vegas."

"I'm not going to get them drunk; they can buy their own drinks. I just think that if Suzaku sees the lighter side of Lelouch, the more alluring and sexy side, that he may start to realize he's attracted to our little raven mopped gay boy," She stated cheerfully, stripping of her work blouse and black skirt. She ignored the smirk and raised eyebrow Kallen flashed her as she approached their closet, pulling out a black leather skirt and sleeveless turtle necked top. "Should I wear the white leather boots or the black ankle boots?" She asked as she slipped into the skirt.

"Go with white, but not the knee high ones. Wear those little white boots that zip up to your ankle," Kallen said as she herself slipped off the bed and headed toward the closet. "And now I need to decide what I feel like wearing. After all, I want all those boys to be envious of you." She purred with a little snicker, which was answered with a smirk and light kiss on the cheek.

…

Suzaku looked around curiously as they pulled up to the wonderful, prestigious Takahara Hotel. "What are we doing here? I thought you said we were going to a club," Suzaku said in slight surprise. The other three people in the car snickered lightly at his bemusement.

"The club is in the basement of the hotel. It's a new trend starting up," Lelouch explained calmly. When Suzaku merely blinked a few times he sighed and shook his head lightly. "You see, this way, people who get drunk at the club's bar can just rent a room in the hotel to get over the alcohol. It helps prevent buzzed or drunk driving while boosting the popularity of the hotels that adopt the new strategy." He explained further.

"Oh. That's actually a really safe and smart idea," He said as he thought more about what he'd been told. He then smiled lightly. "So are we going to get a room here or something?" He asked calmly. This caused Lelouch to chuckle and shake his head, amused by the other boy's naivety.

"No, it means that we are to remain sober while Cici and Kallen drink to their hearts content," He stated, "and the reason you're going to stay sober as well is because I hate having to try and deal with these two when they're both completely wasted. As long as you're here I'm going to make use of you." Suzaku blinked then smiled a little bit, glad to see that Lelouch was actually talking to him again.

"Of course, you'll have to deal with Kallen. She's the more difficult of the two of us and you are the stronger between you and Lelouch," C2 hummed musically with a little grin. Emerald eyes widened a little bit, opening his mouth to protest, when Cici turned from the passenger's side and smirked. "Do you really want Kallen to give Lelouch a bruised rib like last time he tried to contain her while she was intoxicated?"

Kallen blushed and cleared her throat from the driver's seat while she parked in the first space she could find. "What? I'm not a very cooperative drunk and I had a few too many martinis that night. Martinis make me a little crazy, okay?" She mumbled bitterly as she unbuckled herself and slipped out. Her girlfriend, laughing happily, followed suit while Lelouch sighed, shaking his head, and headed out from the back seat as well.

Suzaku followed the other three into the lobby, looking around curiously. He'd been here once during high school, back when the hotel was first being built, but he'd never seen the finished project. It really was quite a splendid, classy sort of place. The lobby had black leather furniture, white and black checkered rugs and white walls with tasteful paints by many great artists. "We'll take an elevator to the club. It's faster and easier than trying to find the staircase, though it'll probably be super crowded." Kallen stated with a small, annoyed little sigh, heading over. The young Japanese male was stunned by the large clump of scantily clad people waiting, whispering and giggling happily as the doors parted.

"Is it always like this?" Suzaku asked Lelouch in a hushed whisper, to make sure he didn't offend anyone around them. The other merely nodded, waiting for the large clump to move closer to the shutting doors to await the next ride. After a second one of the other four elevators opened and another cluster of people disappeared inside. When the third elevator arrived, Lelouch grabbed Suzaku's hand and tugged him along with their female companions and a bunch of strangers. As the elevator slid downward Suzaku briefly wondered if this was what it was like to be a sardine in a can.

When the doors finally slid open again the crowd dispersed so quickly it almost made Suzaku's head spin. The club was dim, lit only by a few rainbow disco balls hanging from the ceiling. He could see the faint shadow of the DJ at his turntables, mixing the sounds and cranking up the volume. The whole room seemed to be shaking with the ferocity of the volume. He perked up and looked over at his best friend, still standing beside him with a raised eyebrow. "Well? Do you want to stand here all night gawking or would you like to actually go out there and enjoy it?" He asked bluntly, causing Suzaku's face to turn a little pink, surprisingly visible in the lack of light.

Lelouch strolled up to the bar casually, not seeming to care that Suzaku was practically rubbing the heels of his feet with how close behind he was. "Two glasses of water, please," He said politely to the perky girl behind the counter. She nodded and headed off to get their drinks while Lelouch slipped on to a bar stool, leaned back against the counter and watched all the other figures dancing in the crowd with a small smile. Suzaku sat next to him, watching him curiously. "I haven't been here in a while. I wonder if anyone I know is here tonight. Well, I mean, other than you, Cici and Kallen." He chuckled lightly, not even sparing the other a glance.

Suzaku knew Lelouch was referring to one of his many "booty calls", as Cici deemed them. After his last failure of a relationship Lelouch decided he was just going to have nightly hook-ups; one-night stands that he could hook up with again at a later date. He had never thought too much of it before but now, as he sat next to him, he could feel a slight twisting in his gut. He tried to ignore it, pushing it back and instead focusing his attention to a disco light.

"Here you are," The bartender's chipper voice chimed lightly. The two men turned and accepted their glasses before she shifted off to her next customer.

"Is that you, Lelouch?" A voice asked in slight surprise. The two perked up and shifted, Lelouch turning in the opposite direction from Suzaku and the brunette leaning across the counter to look past his friend's arm on the table. A young man was standing there, smiling lightly at the ebony haired beauty. He had cropped sandy brown hair and vivid violet eyes that were almost as breath-taking as Lelouch's own. The boy was wearing a white jacket over a black tank top and matching jeans that hugged his petite form rather snugly.

'_He looks like a Backstreet Boy wannabe,'_ Suzaku scoffed inside before sipping his icy drink. It was when Lelouch smiled and held out his hand that he was suddenly very interested in him. _'Did he… Oh, God, don't tell me Lelouch has been with this little brat? No way! Lelouch would go for a stronger man, someone he could depend on and would care for him like he dese… Wait, what? What the Hell am I thinking? How do I know what type of guy Lelouch likes? And why do I feel so… weird about the idea of him with this guy?' _He shook away his wondering as he eavesdropped quietly on the conversation between the two.

"Man, I haven't seen you in forever, Rolo! How have you been?" Lelouch asked pleasantly. The other male smiled and sat next to him on the other side. Suzaku tried to ignore another little twitch of rage at this.

"I've been pretty good; doing this and that," He said with a casual shrug. He then flagged down the waitress and ordered himself a beer before turning back to the conversation. "I finally opened my own gay bar downtown. I'll hook you up with the address and a few free drinks sometime." He said happily, taking a sip of his beer when it arrived. He perked up, finally noticing the seething Japanese boy to Lelouch's left. "You know that guy?" He asked, pointing with one finger.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, that's just Suzaku. He's Euphemia's fiancé," Lelouch said with the greatest of ease in the world. Inside he wished he could say more but instead decided to keep it to himself. He didn't realize that his words had struck a chord with Suzaku. He was just Suzaku? He was Euphemia's fiancé, instead of Lelouch's best friend? "He doesn't go out very much but Cici and Kallen dragged us both here. I'm glad I came though; I haven't had a chance to see you in a while."

"Same. Hey, want to dance with me for a while?" He asked hopefully, setting his bottle down on a coaster, hopping off the stool. Lelouch glanced over at Suzaku as he himself slipped off.

"Did you want to come too, Suzaku?" He asked politely. Suzaku blinked then waved a hand, looking away and glaring at a wall he could just barely see off in the distance. "Well, okay. I'll see you in a bit then." He said before heading out with Rolo, leaving Suzaku to his thoughts.

…

It wasn't until after about an hour of sitting there alone, having gone to the bathroom about four times with how much water he was drinking, that Suzaku decided that he was jealous of Lelouch's "friends". After all, they clearly got to see Lelouch's sweet side a lot more often than he. They knew the type of music Lelouch had become fond of, new the same kind of bizarre and hectic dances as Lelouch; they knew more about the Lelouch of now than Suzaku could claim to. He didn't really understand it but it hurt a lot more than he thought it would; he'd always thought that he was Lelouch's one and only main confidant. Then again, Lelouch was more open with Cici, the snippety and rather condescending witch, abut his secrets than he was with his so-called best friend.

"They're going to play some Ricky Martin, since he's officially out of the closet and all. Don't you want to go out there and dance?" A very familiar voice chipped merrily where Lelouch had once been. He turned, emerald orbs narrowed, at the grinning girl beside him. And to think he was just musing about the damnable witch just a moment before her little appearance. "Lelouch just loves to dance to Ricky Martin. Don't you want to go out there and dance with him too?" She pressed further as the new beat began to pick up.

He huffed, turned his seat around, and instead glared out at the dancers. They were beginning to pair off and partner up; some boys with girls, some girls with other girls, some boys with other boys. Anyone without a partner fled to the walls to stand and watch. He perked up and noticed Lelouch's little friend Rolo was heading off the floor as well. A smug smirk turned up his lips as he sipped his water and waited for Lelouch to return to the bar.

_Talk to me  
Tell me your name  
You blow me off like it's all the same  
You lit a fuse and now I'm ticking away  
Like a bomb  
Yeah, Baby_

He was stunned, however, when he saw Lelouch was partnered up with another man, dancing the salsa to the beat of the song with the other couples on the floor. He gagged on the mouthful of liquid about to slip down his throat and stared at them. This man was much taller, a few centimeters so than Lelouch, with silver hair and sunglasses on. Suzaku could tell, despite the distance between them, that the man was Chinese.

_Talk to me  
Tell me your sign  
You're switching sides like a Gemini  
You're playing games and now you're hittin' my heart  
Like a drum  
Yeah, Baby_

He swallowed hard, watching the closeness between their bodies. He remembered that Lelouch had decided to attend some mixed dance style classes after high school but he'd never seen what Lelouch had learned. He was clearly a master at this style, his hips swaying and moving almost more fluidly than the females dancing on the floor near him. Suzaku wasn't sure if it was just him but Lelouch was the most interesting thing on the floor, despite several other couples performing the same moves as him. "Hey, Cici, whose the guy dancing with Lelouch?" He asked after swallowed again, this time getting a rather large lump to plummet to its doom in his gut.

_Well if Lady Luck gets on my side  
We're gonna rock this town alive  
I'll let her rough me up  
Till she knocks me out  
She walks like she talks,  
And she talks like she walks_

Cici, unlike her male company, was not in a very good place. She had definitely pushed her alcohol limits with those last four shots of tequila. She had her head pressed against the table, one hand lightly massaging the back of her head. Even though she was rather intoxicated even she could recognize she was going to have a major hangover in the morning. "Does he have silver hair? Sun glasses?" She asked aloud, turning her head to look at him sideways. He looked back, nodding at her foggy golden eyes. The hand on her head made little circular motions in the air, as if conjuring up the name. "That's… That sounds a lot like Mao."

_And she bangs, she bangs  
Oh baby  
When she moves, she moves  
I go crazy  
'Cause she looks like a flower but she stings like a bee  
Like every girl in history  
She bangs, she bangs_

"So his name's Mao?" He asked calmly, glaring a bit as they continued their fancy and well coordinated footwork. Well, his assumption that the silver haired male was Chinese had been proven thanks to Cici. He glared after a quick back step left Lelouch and Mao almost chest to chest. "So how exactly does he know Lelouch?" He asked, deciding to press further. Asking questions might keep him from storming out there and dragging Lelouch out.

_I'm wasted by the way she moves  
No one ever looked so fine  
She reminds me that a woman only got one thing on her mind_

If Cici wasn't wasted out of her mind she probably would have been giddy that her plan was actually working. She'd had a hunch that at least one or two of Lelouch's little call-back buddies would end up showing up; they were all a bunch of party animals, after all. She knew Lelouch's dancing mixed with a few of his "flames" would set Suzaku off, whether he knew it was romantic jealousy or not. Currently, however, she was clinging to the side of the counter in hopes of not toppling over herself. "Um, what? What'd you ask?" She slurred but her speech was still decently put together. At least she could be understood.

_Talk to me  
Tell me your name  
I'm just a link in your daisy chain  
Your rap sounds like a diamond  
Map to the stars  
Yeah, Baby_

"I asked you how they know each other! How did they meet? Here, at another club, at a movie, through on of Lelouch's clients? How did they meet?" He snapped angrily, averting his eyes from the dance floor to scowl at Cici.

She stared at him quietly, blinking a few times, before she giggled and lifted her head from the table a little bit. "What? What are… What are you talking about?" She giggled before her head dropped back to the table, eyes shut and mouth open a little bit. Suzaku sweat dropped and sighed again, shaking his head lightly.

_Talk to me  
Tell me the news  
You wear me out like a pair of shoes  
We'll dance until the band goes home  
Then you're gone  
Yeah, Baby_

"They met through dance class. Mao was the assistant teacher in the classes Lelouch was taking," A calm voice answered. Tanned hands twitched as Rolo sat next to him calmly, ordering himself another beer. He smirked out at the dance floor. "Personally I think I'm a better match for Lelouch but I can't salsa and Lelouch is better at the girl's part. But, out of every one, you've probably got the worst chemistry with him." There was something in that smirk, in the glint of those eyes… Rolo clearly knew something that Suzaku didn't. And it was really bugging him.

_Well if it looks like love should be a crime  
You'd better lock me up for life  
I'll do the time with a smile on my face  
Thinking of her in her leather and lace_

"What the hell are you talking about?" He asked flatly, sipping his water. He thought that maybe the cold water would help calm his knotted up stomach; it didn't. "Chemistry? As in, best romantically connected to Lelouch? He and I are best friends. I know him a lot better than you think." He said in the same deadpan he'd used a moment before.

_Well if Lady Luck gets on my side  
We're gonna rock this town alive  
I'll let her rough me up  
Till she knocks me out  
She walks like she talks,  
And she talks like she walks_

Mao dipped Lelouch with the greatest of ease before quickly yanking back and pulling him back up. Suzaku watched as Lelouch twirled quickly, a little tornado of black and red, before taking back up his steps with Mao right where they'd left off. Lelouch had always been such a perfectionist. "You say you know him best… But has he ever told you about his first love?" Jade orbs widened significantly, jumping from the dance floor to the smirking male who was casually sipping his liquor.

_And she bangs, she bangs  
Oh baby  
When she moves, she moves  
I go crazy  
'Cause she looks like a flower but she stings like a bee  
Like every girl in history  
She bangs, she bangs_

"You say you know Lelouch better than I think but if he's never told you that… Well, clearly he doesn't trust you with the truth, now does he?" He hummed before walking off as the last notes of the song faded in the background. He watched him retreat, only jerking from his stare when a hand found his shoulder. He whipped around lightening fast to see Lelouch, one of his pale hands resting on the other's shoulder.

"Cici's out like a light and I think Kallen passed out in the guys bathroom, if what Mao told me was right," He said gently, taking his hand back and pulling on of Cici's arms over her shoulders while the other wrapped around her hip. "I seriously thought they'd last longer than an hour. Can you go grab Kallen and meet me back at the car?"

"Was Mao that guy you were dancing with?" Suzaku blurted out, but this time he'd meant to ask. He knew, for once, that this wasn't a question that would get under Lelouch's skin too much. The other blinked, amethyst orbs cast over with surprise and suspicion, before he nodded calmly.

"Yeah. He's a great dancer and not a half bad guy. Now let's get going. I'll go unlock the car and pull it up around the front so you don't have to drag Kallen too far," He said before walking off, dragging Cici as if she was a dead body. Suzaku watched him go, a small scowl on his lips, before he stormed off to collect the other girl they'd brought with them.

…

The car ride home had been eerily quiet. Lelouch had decided against turning on the car radio, given the look on Suzaku's face as he glared out the passenger side window. As the ride progressed, however, slowly the angry look melted into an annoyed expression, then hurt, followed by sad, and then what appeared to be Suzaku's thinking face. He knew this because Suzaku's nose scrunched up the slightest bit: he always made that face during tests in school. Not like Lelouch had spent his time watch Suzaku from across the class instead of focusing on his work, or anything like that.

After they got the girl tucked into their bed, Cheese-Kun curling up into the little space between their chests, Lelouch got himself another glass of water. "If you ever come clubbing with us again you need to go out on the dance floor. You'd definitely have fun out there," Lelouch said as he sipped his drink.

Suzaku watched him calmly, noting the healthy tint to Lelouch's skin. It looked a little pinker, a little more flushed than usual, and he wondered if Lelouch had enjoyed dancing that much. He was as bad as Rolo had implied, much to his own loathing. But then again, he still had a few days to patch things together, so he had thought up an idea that might just work. "I can't dance, Lelouch," He said abruptly, causing Lelouch to blink and set his drink on the counter with a raised eyebrow. "That's why I didn't want to go out there. I didn't want to embarrass you or me." He mumbled nervously.

"Suzaku… You do realize you're getting married in a few days, don't you? Ugh! You should have told me couldn't dance sooner!" He sighed heavily, resting his fingers on his forehead in annoyance. That, Suzaku had realized, was one gesture of Lelouch's that still hadn't changed in all the years since they'd met. "Well, I'll teach you. From now on, you'll spend your lunch break with me at the office and we'll practice here too." He said, shaking his head as he headed toward his room. He briefly patted Suzaku's shoulder before disappearing into his room with a soft click of his door.

Suzaku stared down the hall, then looked at the kitchen table, his eyes locking on the papers Lelouch had tried to shove at him earlier. He picked them up, glancing them over. He looked around for a moment and then smirked a bit. He lifted up a couch cushion and slid the papers underneath. He'd just have to make sure those stayed there until he was ready to sign them.

End

Suzaku is jealous? Is he starting to get a clue about what's going on?... Maybe. I reveal to you nothing! But maybe if you review and tell me what you think I'll be more inclined to give you a little reward of the citrus variety. Maybe. Until my next update; good day/morning/night!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot. The lyrics used are from the song _My World _by SR-71.

Chapter Nine: Basics of Love's Little Waltz

Lelouch was shifting through a few papers, making calls and setting appointments when Suzaku arrived at the office. Shirley was running about like a lunatic while Kaguya was on the phone with a client and clacking away mercilessly at her computer. "Yes, I understand that you like your current dress, ma'am, but you'll have to set an appointment to discuss this matter with Lamperogue-Sama," She said gently, looking through something on the screen. She tapped at something with her nail. "Are you available next Wednesday, at around ten in the morning? Yes, I'll make sure he knows to meet you at The Mosaic Café. Thank you." She said in a chipper tone before hanging up and looking at her cousin. "Hey, Suzaku. Man, this place is a serious mad house! For some reason, some of Lelouch's brides are freaking out lately and all calling here with their panties in a bunch. And then they get pissy with me because he's always so damn busy!" She snapped in an exasperated tone, falling over on desk dramatically.

He chuckled lightly. "That must suck. Do you think Lelouch would mind if I poked my head in there?" He asked curiously. She looked up and tilted her head toward the door, which Shirley was approaching with a salad in a plastic bowl and a bottle of water, a plastic bag around her wrist. She disappeared for a moment then came back with a little sigh, shutting the door and walking over. She set the bag down on Kaguya's desk and rummaged through, handing a turkey sub and a can of soda over to the black haired Japanese woman.

"You can go in there now, but be careful; Lelouch was handling the finances and some very picky clients without having any breakfast. The food should make him a little less grumpy but you should still be on your best behavior," Shirley giggled while pulling out her own lunch of a tuna fish sandwich and bottle of juice. She opened the bottle and took a quick sip, relaxing into the chair across from her co-worker. "As long as you don't touch any of the items on his desk or mess with his piles h should be okay, though." She repeated thoughtfully.

Suzaku headed in calmly, peeking in before he actually walked in. Lelouch was seated at his desk, which was cluttered with papers of various colors. He was leaning back in his seat, eating a chicken Caesar salad, while reading through something he had on a clipboard. He glanced up and blinked, amethyst orbs widening a bit. Suzaku resisted the urge to giggle at a little bit of ranch dressing that had dripped a bit from Lelouch's mouth. "Suzaku, you're early," He said in slight surprise as he got up, setting the papers and salad on the table.

"You've got a little something right there," Suzaku chuckled in response, indicating the milky white substance on the other's face. Pink dust came to those cheeks as he grabbed frantically at a napkin, wiping it up, and trying to ignore the little chortles of laughter coming from his friend. "Sorry but it is around one o'clock; I figured you'd be going to lunch soon enough." He said.

"Is it really that late already?" Lelouch asked dubiously, twisting the cap of the bottle. It made a little popping noise as the seal was broken. He took a quick swig before recapping it and setting it back down. Well, okay, let's get to work. What type of dance do you think you want me to start showing you how to do?" Lelouch asked as he walked around the desk and pulled out a small stereo and his iPod.

"I think it'd be best if I learned the more traditional dance styles first. You know, like the waltz or something," He said calmly. Lelouch nodded, hooking his iPod up and searching through it. He then picked a song, turned it on, and readjusted the volume so it was more like background noise.

"Okay then. It's not all that complicated, really," The raven topped male said as he approached. He calmly took Suzaku's hands. "Now, place your hands on my hips and I place my hands on your shoulders. For the waltz, the male usually leads, but for now I want you to just follow my lead and the flow of the music, okay?" He said gently, beginning the moves.

At first Suzaku was very clumsy and stumbled a bit, neatly knocking Lelouch off balance and on to his rear end. After a few minutes, however, the other began to catch on and followed, the two gliding easily and moving in perfect unison. "This isn't as hard as I thought it would be. And I didn't even step on your feet or anything!" He grinned happily at the other.

"You're doing really well for a first time. Other styles will be a little more challenging and require a lot more physical contact. I won't teach you anything like the salsa dance style I was doing the other night with Mao, though," Lelouch said calmly, making sure to keep up the flow of the dance. Suzaku blinked a little bit, making sure to keep up as well, a small sting of jealousy catching at him.

"Why not? Do you think I can't learn it or something?" He asked, trying to keep the bitterness out of his tone. He didn't do as well as he'd hoped, however, because Lelouch stopped mid-step and looked up at him with a furrowed brow.

"That's not why. I personally think that you'd catch on to any style I showed you with the greatest of ease; you've always had fantastic balance and grace, given all the training you did when we were younger," He said gently. Suzaku felt his heart pick up in speed a little bit at Lelouch's praise. Many times he'd been complimented by his parents, his boss, his co-workers, and Euphemia but for some reason these words from Lelouch… They meant a lot more to him than any other. "But, for one, I doubt Euphie knows how to do the salsa, tango, or any other complex style of dance. Unlike me, she's never taken classes and it might be more challenging for her than me. Those dances require a lot of coordination between partners and without her knowing the dances she might find it hard to keep up with you. Number two, they require lots of physical and rather provocative movements. I think those kinds of dance moves would be considered rather shameless by my family; especially my father. You don't want to make my father hate you, do you?" He asked calmly, his words becoming a bit more spiteful when he mentioned his father.

Suzaku knew what Lelouch's family had been put through because of his soon-to-be father-in-law. As children, when they became friends, Suzaku often cursed that man for hurting Lelouch. He considered that to be the reason for Lelouch's reserved and, sometimes, scornful ways. It wasn't until they became even closer, the best of friends, that he saw the real Lelouch and hated that man even more. And now all that rage was beginning to bubble back up in him. "And what if I do? That man is an arrogant, stupid bastard who deserves a good kick in the ass for what he'd done to you, Nunnally, and your mother," He said sternly, glaring a bit. He felt protective of Lelouch, knowing that attending the wedding would most likely be difficult for the poor man. Charles Britannia was a stuck-up corporate fat-cat from Britain who disapproved of "Lelouch's kind", as he once said in conversation, and was more concerned about the children he considered successful.

"Suzaku, what are you talking about? Euphemia's going to be your wife soon and if you piss him off that man can ruin it all for you. You've been dreaming of being with her since you started dating, right? Don't throw that away for something stupid like a type of dance," Lelouch said softly, letting his hands drop from the other's shoulders. He missed the contact but this conversation was going to places he wasn't too comfortable with and decided to try and sneak away from it by going for some more of his salad.

"Who says I'd be doing it for a dance style?" Suzaku asked lowly, keeping Lelouch firmly in place. He even pulled the other a little closer, their hips pressed together. Lelouch fought back a blush as he looked up into smoldering emerald orbs. "That man hurt your mother, hurt Nunnally, and, more importantly, he hurt you. He doesn't deserve the fortune he has. What he should receive is a rather hard kick in the gut or balls." He said with a small growl.

"Suzaku, what do you mean?" He asked with a nervous chuckle. His heart was beating at a mile a minute and he feared that Suzaku could hear it. Wouldn't that just be embarrassing? "You shouldn't be concerned about such things. You need to focus on staying on his good side since soon you'll be Euphemia's husband." He continued to push forward, trying to step back a little bit. He was kept in place by the other's strong arms.

"But I was your best friend first," He said softly, leaning closer to force Lelouch to look him in the eye. The other's eyes were glinting with fear and discomfort, most likely feeling awkward with their closeness. But why should he be? He was practically letting that Mao guy molest him on the dance floor the night before. "And I'm starting to think that-"

He was cut off when the door was thrown open by Euphemia, who blinked a few times at them. Suzaku, snapping from his protective daze, quickly released Lelouch, causing the other to topple over on the floor. "Sorry boss! We tried to stop her but she was too much for us!" Kaguya called dramatically from her desk before sipping her soda through a straw with the casual nature of a mall-hopping teenager. Lelouch grumbled something in some other language under his breath as he pushed himself back up, using the edge of his nearby desk to help him.

"Hello, Euphemia. What brings you here today?" He asked calmly as he brushed off his clothes, removing any trace of any possible dust or dirt. He then looked at her, completely composed and put together like usually.

"What were you two doing just now?" She asked curiously as her younger brother walked over and shifted through his iPod, as if trying to find another song. She then looked expectantly at Suzaku. "I wanted to have lunch with you and Gino told me I'd find you here. Why did you drop by?"

"Well, I didn't want you to know but I can't dance," Suzaku laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head nervously. He looked at her with a sheepish grin. "Lelouch offered to help me learn a few dance steps so that I wouldn't embarrass you or step on your toes or anything at the reception." He explained calmly. Euphemia blinked then smiled brightly and walked over, gently kissing his cheek.

"You are the absolute sweetest," She said happily, taking one of his hands. He smiled back then glanced back over at Lelouch. He almost missed the hurt look that was on the other's face before he hardened his expression and returned to his desk, picking his salad back up and taking a bite. "I'll take him off your hands so you can get back to work, if you don't mind. Also, could you make time in your schedule tomorrow to attend a cake testing with me? I called your friend Rivalz, since I remembered you mentioned he was a great bakery." She added on happily.

"I'm sure I can fit it in. I don't have too many appointments for tomorrow already so," Lelouch said while checking his planner, "how about tomorrow around four? I'll be there at three for a sampling session with another bride. I can just hang out there until you show up." He said with a bright smile.

"That would be perfect! You're the greatest little brother any girl could want, Lelouch!" She chimed happily before dragging her fiancé along. Lelouch let out a slow breath through his nose, setting his planner back down. "Oh, hey Milly! Congrats on your engagement!" He heard Euphemia giggle before she and Suzaku disappeared. The blonde stopped by, mumbled with Shirley, then entered his office and shut his door behind her.

"Well that must have been painful," She said in a matter of fact tone, walking over and sitting in one of the two chairs in front of Lelouch's desk. She then lifted her legs and crossed them atop a few of his files, letting her heel-covered feet dangle near his face. Lelouch moved his chair a little, picked back up his salad, and took another quick bite.

"I thought you had a shop to run," He stated after swallowing. She giggled lightly and he rolled his eyes, setting his salad back down and wiping his mouth with a napkin, just in case. "No, seriously, Milly. Your parents are giving you the shop once they retire, aren't they? Shouldn't you, I don't know, be a little more responsible?" He asked casually.

"Silly, Lulu. I make my own schedule. Plus I wanted to come help you with your paper work," She said cheerfully, leaving her feet in place. She folded her hands together behind her head and released a contented sigh. "Shirley sent me a text and told me things were pretty chaotic. My mother was working today so I just slipped away and accidently left my phone in my car."

"Meaning you heard from Shirley that Suzaku showed up, unannounced, and that I'd shut the door and turned on some music and you decided you wanted to get the whole juice story, with all the sordid details, right?" He asked with a small knowing smirk. Milly gasped and faked a look of shock, placing one of her hands to her heart instead of behind her head.

"Do you really think so little of me, Lulu? I have been your friend for years! Why can't you just have faith that I came here to help you with some work, like good friends do?" She asked in a hurt tone. Lelouch pinned her with a look.

"Because in high school you always dumped all the paper work for Student Council on me and even now you occasionally try to drop your paper work for the shop in my lap," Lelouch said bluntly. Milly paused for a moment then sighed and snapped her fingers on the hand that had been over her heart. He smirked and resumed munching on the rest of his lunch.

"Damn! I should have told you I wanted to dish on some chick who bought a totally hideous dress! You probably would have fallen for that one!" She cursed lightly, shaking her head in disappointment at herself. Milly had always been quite good at making up excuses until Lelouch figured out her hatred for anything that involved her needing to read and write; after that, he just accepted whatever documents the president had tossed his way and only bothered her in order to get her signature.

"That or you could have said you wanted to discuss plans for your own wedding. I may not have actually seen that one for a lie," Lelouch stated helpfully, smirking even wider when she snapped again and dropped her legs to the floor. He loved pointing out her mistakes after the fact; bragging to the devious Milly Ashford was just too much fun. And it was free to boot!

"I need to plan things more thoroughly when I'm coming to pester you! You've learned my ways far too well by now, my precious kitten!" She said with a small pout. The "kitten" thing was a joke from high school, given there was a stray cat that seemed rather infatuated with Lelouch and enjoyed following him around. "If I offer to help you out, despite my extreme hatred for things with words and numbers, will you tell me what just happened?" She asked pleadingly, flashing him a pair of sapphire puppy dog eyes.

"Very well. All I need you to do is look at the dates in the top pages of each document and put them in order of least recent to most recent," He said calmly. He tossed his empty salad container in the nearby trash can, took a sip of his water, and began shifting through a few files. Milly did as well, looking up at him occasionally. After a few moments of silent work she stopped and glared at him.

"We made a deal, Lelouch," She said with an annoyed little grin. He looked up at her innocently, tilting his head and flashing her his award-winning smile. Too bad Milly Ashford had become impervious to those when she found out Lelouch was as straight a banana.

"I know but I was hoping that you'd get too caught up in the work to realize I wasn't talking," Lelouch said while taking yet another sip of his water. He wasn't necessarily embarrassed over what he'd been doing with Suzaku; he'd been helping his friend, after all. But he knew that if he told Milly she'd most likely start fussing. He was basically going against the advice she'd given him only a few short days ago and she was not one who liked to be ignored.

"Well did I say I cared what you want? I said I wanted to know what the hell I missed!" She huffed in response, tossing her stack of papers back down on the desk and crossing her arms over her chest. She narrowed her eyes at him dangerously, the gray hue sticking out a bit more against the blue.

"I was giving Suzaku a dance lesson and things got a little awkward," He sighed heavily, turning his attention back to his papers. Milly paused for a second before resuming her work without a word. Lelouch took it as a bad sign. "Milly, he wanted to know how to dance for the wedding and I couldn't leave him hanging. He's my best friend."

"He's also the guy you've been madly in love with for years now," She sighed, setting her organized stack on the vacant chair beside her. She reached over and rested her hands on top of Lelouch's, forcing his plum tinted eyes to meet her gaze. "Lelouch, I think that it's about time you did something a little bit selfish."

"What are you talking about, Milly?" He asked nervously, masking it pretty well with a look of slight annoyance instead. He hated how unnerved he was when it came to the topic of he and Suzaku's relationship.

"I mean I have some friends in America who would like to know if you'd be interested in moving out there and starting up a company. They're a baker, a bridal shop manager, a florist and the owner of a rather ritzy hotel. They've seen your work and really admire it. They'd like you to open up a branch out there and are all willing to work exclusively with you, if you want it that way, and do whatever you tell them to," She said gently. Lelouch twitched, his hands slipping away from hers. She sighed again, her eyes softening on him. "You don't have to decide now but… I can't let you keep doing this to yourself. You need to move on with your life and forget about Suzaku; all this does is cause you pain. Maybe a change of scenery will help you move on and find someone else." She suggested gently.

Lelouch opened his mouth to speak but stopped when he heard the song on his iPod. It was a song he'd only listened to once or maybe twice. He'd told C2 to put some music on there she thought he might like a while back and hadn't had the chance to listen to too many of the songs yet. Milly perked up and looked over as well, hearing the words.

_You make me high! You make me real!  
You make me cry! Now you know the way I feel  
Love is all around you, your universe is full,  
But in my world, there is only you._

She looked at Lelouch, seeing his eyes close a little bit and glint in sorrow. She swallowed and forced a smile on her lips. "Geez, Lelouch, why do you listen to such depressing music? You should listen to something more cheery when you're doing paperwork so that it doesn't seem like a total bummer!" She laughed teasingly, grabbing the music device and rummaging through for anything that didn't have to do with love or relationships.

But she also knew the damage was done. She wasn't sure if Lelouch specifically thought of Suzaku when listening to said song, if it was something he felt summed up their relationship, but she did know that at least now he was. The way his demeanor shifted from a little irked by her suggestion to seeming downright depressed was the only sign she needed.

Milly really wished she still had the belief that her silly little magic spells from high school might work; or at least the stupidity to try and pretend she was sure it had worked.

End

I know, it wasn't naughty, but I figured putting a little of physical tension in there would help develop the relationship so I could work in some citrusy goodness that didn't seem rather spontaneous or misplaced. Well, I leave wondering what Lelouch will decide! And what about Suzaku? Well, I'll tell you in the next update!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot. I suggest listening to the following songs during this chapter at designated moments: (1)_ Everything I'm Not_ by The Veronicas, (2) _Bleeding Love_ by Leona Lewis and (3) _Chemistry of a Car Crash_ by Shiny Toy Guns in this order.

Chapter Ten: To Become what you Hate

Lelouch sat at a little table in Rivalz's bakery quietly. He was currently awaiting Euphemia's arrival and felt rather ill. "So which cakes should I bring out for you two to try this time?" Rivalz asked from his spot behind the counter. Lelouch blinked a bit and thought briefly.

"Let's go with the red velvet with cream cheese frosting, the marble with the lemon frosting and the chocolate with vanilla frosting," He suggested calmly. The other grinned and nodded, leaning on the counter and releasing a dreamy sigh. Lelouch smiled a bit, already having a hunch where his friend's mind was going. "So have you and Milly made any decisions for your wedding yet?" He asked, resting his chin in his palm and leaning forward a bit to better meet his friend's gaze.

Gray orbs shimmered brightly in joy. "We decided to go with a vanilla cake with chocolate icing for our cake. But I'm going to deck it out with a little color and make sure it's the most elegant, unique cake in the world!" He announced happily. Lelouch smiled back and nodded. "And Milly said that she's already picked out her wedding dress but she wanted to let you see it to get the Lelouch seal of approval. We haven't picked a venue, a menu or made a guest list yet and were hoping you could help us with that. We do know we want to get married in America, though."

"Milly's grandparents and extended family live out there, don't they? If I remember they own a rather successful orchard," Lelouch thought aloud, sitting up a bit and letting his hand curl over his chin in thought. He closed his eyes for a moment, wrinkling his nose, before nodding and opening his eyes. "Why don't you do it all there? You can get married in the orchard and then, out in the fields to the side where there are no crops growing, you could have a canopy put up and enjoy your reception outside. That way any children you invite will have plenty of room to roam around and you'll all be allowed to enjoy a pleasant summer day. You are getting married soon, right?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, a suspicious glint in his violet orbs.

"We want to get married in a month or too, before it starts getting too cold out," Rivalz agreed as the front door opened and the little bell at the top dinged. He smiled at the pink haired beauty that entered. "Hello there, soon-to-be Mrs. Kururugi Suzaku!" He said happily. Rivalz did not know about Lelouch's feelings for the other but did know about his sexuality. The indigo haired male had seemed rather relieved by the news and, after the truth was told, began seeking advice on how to make Milly see what a great guy he was from the other. Lelouch swallowed hard, making sure to keep his bitterness to himself.

(1) "Hello, Rivalz-Kun," She said happily with a little giggle. Euphemia worked at an animal shelter due to a fondness for animals and didn't have a uniform. She was currently wearing a long sleeved white dress with a light green portion just beneath her breast that fanned out to her hips. Under that was an orange skirt that slid down so that only a small portion of the white dress beneath could be seen. She had a dark red chocker around her neck and matching shoes with very small heels on them paired with it. The outfit was both simple and elegant; modest yet tasteful for her figure. "Hello, Lelouch. Thank you for meeting me here." She said happily, sitting across from him and gently taking his hands. She gave them a light squeeze, her eyes shimmering in gratitude. "I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful little brother."

"It's my pleasure to help you out, Euphie," He said sincerely. No matter how much he hated that he couldn't have Suzaku, that Suzaku had kept he and Euphemia's relationship a secret, and that Suzaku had always picked her over him, Lelouch couldn't find it in him to hate her for it. He always felt so sick around Euphemia because many a time he'd wished that something terrible would happen. He often wished that one of them would mess up, that Suzaku would come to him, and he'd have the chance to take the young Japanese man for himself. He had these thoughts, even to this day, and he felt terrible for it. She had never done anything to deserve such spiteful wishes from him; all she did was fall in love with a wonderful guy that she didn't know Lelouch wanted just as badly.

"I'll go get the samples real quick, okay?" Rivalz asked cheerfully before darting off. Lelouch nodded and smiled slightly. He had done a lot of thinking last night and come to a decision; one that he needed to tell someone or risk popping. He hadn't wanted to confide in any of his roommates because he knew they'd all freak out on him. But maybe he could tell Euphemia; she'd always been his family confidant, after all.

"I've decided that I'm going to move to America," He said suddenly, looking up at Euphemia. Her lilac hued eyes widened a bit, her fingers tightening on his hands a bit. He gently stroked the tops of her hands with his thumbs soothingly.

"When did you decide this?" She asked softly. He gave a small smile, tilting his head a little bit as they watched each other.

"I decided this last night," He began calmly, "Milly and I talked yesterday. She said she knew some people in America who wanted to offer me a contract sort of deal where they'd work solely on projects that I gave them. Not only that but I've grown tired of Japan. I've been here for so long and I haven't found anyone I want to be serious with. Or, actually, I haven't found anyone I want to be serious with that feels the same. I think maybe going to America will give me a chance to find my own happiness." He said, forcing a smile on. It wasn't the truth, what he was saying. He couldn't tell the truth to Euphemia, though.

"Well, I don't want you to go, but if this is how you feel I support it. If this is what will make you happy, that is," She said after a moment, looking at him pleadingly. He knew that she wanted him to stay and support her emotionally but he couldn't keep this up. He loved Euphemia and Suzaku both too much to stay here and wish the worst for them. Maybe miles away he could finally put them out of his mind.

"I really think it is. But I'll stay and make sure your wedding goes off without a single hitch," He promised gently just as Rivalz walked out with the cakes samples he'd gone to fetch. "Oh, and by the way, please don't mention this to Suzaku. I want to tell him on my own time." He said gently.

She nodded but suddenly a thought struck her. _"__ You may not have realized it, Euphie, but you're really hurting Lelouch," _echoed in her words. She looked at Lelouch for a moment, how he interacted as carefree and merry as always with Rivalz, as her mind finally put the puzzle together. She swallowed quietly and kept to herself. She had, however, decided that she was going to honor Lelouch's request; even if she didn't necessarily approve of it.

…

(2) Lelouch sighed as he sat in his car in the parking lot of his office. He'd just told Shirley and Kaguya about his decision. They'd both freaked out but he assured them that, despite the miles between them, he'd still be taking on weddings that needed tending in Japan. He explained that it would become Shirley's responsibility to attend meetings with clients and do a lot of the things he used to. He said that Kaguya was to send him e-mails daily about the newest clients, their personalities, the themes of their weddings, and any pictures of things the wedding goods stores they frequented had come up with for each theme; basically send pictures of cake ideas or gown suggestions.

He was now praying that Kaguya wasn't calling up her cousin and ratting him out. He had told them both that this was to remain classified since it pertained solely to how things at work would be changing but his young secretary was a bit of a blabber mouth. She liked to gossip quite a bit but he was hoping her respect for him, and love of her paycheck, would be enough to deter her from telling him. "Well I guess I'll find out when I get home," He mumbled to himself before turning the key in the ignition.

As he drove home he couldn't keep his mind off of Suzaku and Euphemia. He really was an idiot to ever think that their relationship could ever fall apart; they had a lot in common, they were both naïve and giving, and they had perfect chemistry with one another. They went together like water and ice, made of the same stuff with only slight differences. Suzaku and Lelouch… They were more like water and vinegar; similar attributes but completely different. They could never mix, could never be put together properly. It was just something Lelouch assumed he'd have to accept and move on. Perhaps finding another vinegar or maybe an oil would be a better match.

He pulled into his spot in front of their building and sighed, sitting there and letting the car run while keeping it in park. How many years had he loved Suzaku know? It came as naturally as breathing, despite their many flaws and differences. He loved everything about the other male; the tanned skin, the vivid emerald eyes, the soft and curly brown locks, the sounds of his voice, every expression he made and even the things he could argue with the other about. Arguing with Suzaku had always been one of Lelouch's favorite sports, second behind chess. The other just made the greatest expressions when he was frustrated. So this trip to America would either kill Lelouch or save him.

He jerked up when he heard a light rapping on his window, looking up to see a grinning Suzaku standing there. He turned off the car and nudged one of his hands, indicating to the other to move out of the way. He then opened the door, slid out and locked his car back up. "I'm afraid I can't tell you which cake Euphemia picked; I promised her I'd stay silent," Lelouch said calmly as he started walking, forcing a small smile on to his lips. Suzaku blinked, seeming baffled, then nodded quickly.

"Oh yeah, you two were doing that today, huh? How'd it go?" He asked. Lelouch blinked in surprise then sighed and shook his head lightly at the other.

"Suzaku, you're getting married in six days. Don't you think you should be more attentive to what's going on in accordance to it?" He asked calmly as he headed upstairs. He unlocked the door and looked around, seeing no one was home. There was a note on the table which he picked up and read aloud. "'Dear Lulu and Douche-Kun, Cheese-Kun needed some shots. Kallen and I took him to the vet, and then we're taking him out to celebrate his good health. Don't go in our room or I'll kick your asses. Sincerely, Cici.'"

(3)"Why is she so mean to me?" Suzaku asked with a little huff. Lelouch chuckled, ripped the note up, and walked over to the trash can.

"Most likely because she's known me a lot longer," Lelouch said calmly before heading back to his room. Suzaku blinked and followed him, putting his foot in the doorway so that it couldn't be shut. Lelouch blinked a few times and glanced at him curiously. "What is it?"

"What do you mean by that? Why should her knowing you longer affect how she looks at me, how she treats me?" He asked calmly, looking at Lelouch sternly. Violet orbs filled with panic and he cleared his throat, looking off to the side with a hand still pressed to the doorknob. "Lelouch, don't ignore me. I'm asking you a serious question."

"It doesn't matter, Suzaku," He said quickly, meeting the other gaze. He only hoped that his eyes didn't betray the panic he felt rushing through his veins. "It really doesn't, okay?" He said a little softer.

Suzaku blinked, his brow creasing as he thought, before his eyes widened with realization in those eyes. Lelouch felt fear churn in his gut. "It was me, wasn't it? The person that made you realize you were gay," He said softly, stepping back a little bit. Lelouch gave a dark chuckle, letting his head tilt downward so that his bangs hid his eyes from view.

"Yeah. Congrats, you figured it out," He said flatly. And now it was the moment that Lelouch had always dreaded. "So why don't you just put that in the back of your mind, huh? Just forget everything you just realized. It's the best way to handle a situation like this." He said with another hollow chuckle. He then slammed his door shut and clicked the lock into place. He fell to his knees and pressed his forehead to the door, trying to calm himself and fight back the tears.

Suzaku stood in the hallway, looking at the white wooden door before him. Lelouch was in love with him? But how? Why? And was he still in love with him now? Yes, he had to be; that explained the mood swings and his defensive nature. It explained why Lelouch was so adamant about keeping some distance between them. But what Suzaku was really confused about was why his heart was beating so fast he thought it might explode and he felt happy over the news.

End

So… We're getting close to the end. And if you followed my suggestion about music... Doesn't it just fit really well together? I feel I owe you all little something, given the rating of this fic, so let me promise you that the next chapters will be well worth the wait. Well, tell me what you think of the growing tension! Tah!


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Chapter Eleven: Conflicting Interests

Suzaku paced out front of Lelouch's room for twenty minutes before finally deciding to act. He lightly knocked, awaiting a response impatiently. "Lelouch, I know you're in there. And I know you couldn't have climbed out the window; you have little to no physical ability and your room isn't the one near the fire escape," He said bluntly, glaring at the wood in annoyance. He didn't hear anything else for a while then growled and knocked again. "Lelouch, I'm not kidding! Either you open this door of I'll do it myself!" He snapped. He tapped his foot impatiently while awaiting a response. When he received none he walked over to where Lelouch's wallet rested on the kitchen table.

He opened it and peered inside. He pulled out the other male's driver license and smirked, heading back over to the door and knocking again. "This is seriously your last chance, Lelouch," He said in a sing-song tone. Silence was his answer yet again so he calmly slid the laminated plastic down the side of the doorway and smirked at the click. This click was followed by another, meaning that Lelouch had pressed the lock back into place. He tried again, only to have the lock almost immediately pressed back in. He could feel his eye twitching in annoyance. "Lelouch, this isn't funny and it isn't cute!" He snapped, trying again only to earn the same response of the lock pressing back into place and Lelouch keeping quiet. Emerald spheres narrowed before he perked up and smirked, a devious plan brewing in his mind.

He repeated the action but dropped the license and twisted the knob right after it unlocked, making the lock unable to push back into place. He moved to push it open only to find that Lelouch was trying to hold it shut. Annoyance gnawed at Suzaku again as his patience reached its end. He pushed with all his might on the door, hearing the other let out a low sound of pain and the thump of a body hitting the ground. He opened the door, slid in, and looked down at Lelouch, who was sprawled on the floor. "I told you to open the door on your own but you just couldn't listen," Suzaku said calmly as he shut the door again.

"It's called privacy. Now respect mine and get out. I don't feel like dealing with you right now," Lelouch huffed, getting up as quickly as he could and turning toward the bathroom attached to his room. Catching on to what the other was planning Suzaku grabbed his arm and tossed him toward the bed, letting out a relieved sigh when the other actually feel atop the bed. "What the hell was that for?" Violet eyes were glaring at him viciously, though Suzaku knew that their bark was worse than their bite.

"I'm not going to let you just lock yourself up in another room right after I get into this one! I'm not in the mood for those kinds of games right now!" Suzaku snapped back, walking over and sitting next to his best friend. He then took a deep breath, released it, and looked at the other seriously. "I want us to talk about this, Lelouch."

"What is there to talk about?" He sighed lightly, just laying there and tossing an arm over his eyes. He knew when he was beat so he may as well accept it as gracefully as he could, given his previous behavior. "I love you, you love Euphemia and Euphemia loves you. What more do you need to know? Just tell me you aren't interested and we can let it go. I'll just suck it up like a big boy and you can return to your usual state of complete ignorance."

"But what if that's not what I want?" Suzaku whispered uncertainly, looking down at his hands. Lelouch's arm moved briefly, as if he was going to sit up, but then stayed in place.

"Impossible. I'm not in much of a mood for hypothetical situations," The other answered as calm and cool as he delivered all his news. It was a practiced skill and Suzaku could see through it now. He knew inside Lelouch was unnerved and he couldn't stand the thought of being left so vulnerable and possibly getting hurt in the process.

"It's not a hypothetical suggestion," Suzaku said with a distressed sigh. Lelouch's arm slowly lifted and he sat up on his elbows, bemusement clear on his features. Suzaku looked at him like Cheese-Kun after he did not receive even a nibble of human food from one of his mothers. "It's just that… Lately I've been getting weird feelings around you. When I see you smile over something I say or do I get really excited and happy. And I want to watch you, see how you react to things, and I'm not used to that. And when we were at that club and you went off with that Rolo kid or when you were dancing with that Mao guy… I got really jealous of how close you were to them. And not, like, in the way that a friend gets jealous when someone else knows a secret about a friend that they don't." He mumbled nervously, keeping his gaze on Lelouch the whole time. They both stayed silent for a while, just looking at one another.

They didn't really know which of them initiated the kiss but, in their own minds, agreed that perhaps it was team effort, in which they'd each leaned a little closer until the gap was closed. Suzaku was surprised at how pleasant the kiss really was. When he kissed Euphemia it was always gentle and sweet, reminding him a lot of bubbles for whatever reason. With Lelouch, however, the kiss felt a little more risqué yet just as affectionate, making him think more of Arthur, a cat he'd had during high school. The cat would be loving and purring one minute, then latch on to Suzaku's hand with his teeth and claws the next. Lelouch, on the other hand, was too wrapped up in just how wonderful it felt; perfect was the only word his dazed mind could conjure up.

They both knew it was Lelouch who unintentionally indicated that the kiss deepen. He'd opened his mouth, a small mewl squirming free of him, and Suzaku jumped on the chance to slip his tongue into the other's moist cavern. Their tongues battled briefly before the two pulled apart for air, panting softly and staying silent. Their eyes were both blazing with passion and affection, locked on one another, before they kissed again. This time, however, Lelouch's arms found their way around Suzaku's neck, his fingers curling into curled brown locks, while Suzaku wrapped his arms around the other's waist and somehow pinned him down.

When they pulled away Lelouch had planned to say something, to protest to where this was going, but lost any words when Suzaku's hands began roaming along his chest, slipping under his shirt and stroking the pale flesh. The male on the bottom shuddered and moaned weakly, eyes shutting when fingers lightly flitted over his nipples. When he felt Suzaku begin to unbutton his shirt Lelouch sat up and helped, slipping the white cotton top off his shoulders with a slight shrug. The other tossed the shirt to the floor and kissed Lelouch again before he could protest at the treatment of his clothes.

Lelouch was a lot more nervous than he could admit. He'd been with a lot of people in the past and wasn't afraid of the intercourse but it felt strange, doing such intimate things with the object of his affection. Suzaku had always been an unobtainable dream yet now here they were, touching such sensitive places and gradually removing clothes. Skin to skin contact was simply mind blowing and when they were both finally naked, a nervous blush came to the tanned male's face. "What do… Uh… How does this work, exactly?" He mumbled nervously. Lelouch blinked a bit, then chuckled and opened the nearby drawer to the bedside table.

He offered Suzaku a bottle of lubricant which resulted in only making the other blush more furiously. "You put this on you and then put it in me," He said breezily, his breath coming out in little puffs from the exertion of their contact. Suzaku blushed and looked off to the side before earning a small chuckled from Lelouch. He took the lubricant back, put a generous amount in the palm of one hand, then set the bottle on the table. "I'll put it on for you." He said before reaching down and wrapping a hand around the other's arousal.

Suzaku had never had any kind of sexual experience. He'd had naught dreams about Euphemia, but he never used his hand to tend to arousal problems. Not only that, but he and Euphemia only ever kissed because they'd both agreed they wanted their first experience to be completely clean and that much more important. But with Lelouch's hand around him, beginning to slowly pump the cool gel along him, he felt like he might just explode right then and there. It just felt so damn wonderful. When it ended, after a few strokes, he had half the mind to protest. He kept it to himself when Lelouch shifted a bit and positioned them so that Suzaku could feel the other's perk little hole trembling against his tip.

He slowly pushed forward, Lelouch's head resting against his shoulder while a small content noise escaped the raven haired male. The heat that surrounded him once he was all the way in was mind blowing and he wanted to weep at how tight it was. It was just do grand, being inside the other and feeling those muscles twist and clench around him. He moved slowly, making sure to go slow in case Lelouch wasn't quite ready. When he felt his tip brush something that made Lelouch mumble something in English while mewing like a kitten, he made his aim to hit that spot again. He kept this up, noticing how the walls around him tightened that much more when the spot was brushed, until he heard Lelouch whisper his name breathlessly and they both reached their end.

Afterwards, Lelouch and Suzaku nuzzled up under the covers. Lelouch was lying on his side so that his back was against Suzaku's front. Suzaku was nuzzled lightly into the back of Lelouch's neck, whispering sweet nothing against the flesh. Violet orbs darkened with sorrow as he thought about what a letdown the morning would be. Though he and Suzaku had just done this he was not too sure the other would still be around. Sex wasn't a commitment, as Lelouch knew all too well from what he'd done to so many others in the past. As he fell asleep, he told himself not to get his hopes up too high.

When he woke up, alone, with the annulment papers signed on the pillow next to him and a note that read _'I'm sorry,'_ Lelouch couldn't say he was necessarily surprised. He told himself it was just because of the pain in his backside that tears came to his eyes.

…

"So you two couldn't work anything out, I see?" Rakshata asked in a soft, unamused tone. Lelouch remained blank faced as he watched her thumb through the papers.

"I told you before," Lelouch began calmly, "that he is to marry my older sister and that it was an accidental marriage. There was nothing to work out." He said calmly, his hands clenching a bit at his sides. She gave him an analytical look before standing calmly.

"You certainly don't look like someone who just ended a marriage with a mere friend," She said casually as she headed toward the door. She stopped and looked back at him calmly. "Even if it didn't mean anything to him it meant something to you; even if it was only a little bit. Maybe you shouldn't have been so stubborn and spoken up a little bit."

"It wasn't from lack of trying on my account," He said as he stood and headed toward the door, opening it and pausing. He didn't look back at her, however. "So this will be done by the end of the day?"

"In one hour you'll both be free as birds," She said calmly. He nodded and walked away quickly. She sighed and shook her head lightly, looking down at the papers. "I give them a week before they decide they want to get married again. People that are a hassle like them usually end up stirring up the most trouble for nothing." She mused aloud before heading out to the parking lot to visit a friend of hers who also happened to be a judge.

Once outside, Lelouch fished the wedding band he'd had out of his finger and dropped it down a nearby storm drain.

…

"So Suzaku decided he's going to stay with Gino up until the day of the wedding?" Lelouch asked calmly, not looking up as he spoke. Cici merely made a small noise of agreement from her perch on the edge of the couch. She was currently trying to teach her beloved pooch the concept of sit down.

"He said that if he stayed here he'd be too tempted to ask you about the things Euphemia's picked out for the wedding," She said calmly, holding the dog treat up above Cheese-Kun's snort. He looked at her pleadingly, pacing around her hand like a shark… Well, an adorable shark. "Bt I know that isn't the truth. I saw what happened when I got home and checked to see if you two were even here. Was it good?" She asked casually.

"This is your fault, you know," Lelouch said coldly. Golden pools locked on him but he kept his gaze trapped on his book. "This morning I woke up to find he'd left me the annulment papers, signed, and an apologetic note. But, of course, he was nowhere to be found, in typical Suzaku fashion." He said coldly, glaring at the pages and not taking in the words. How many times had he received texts apologizing because he had to cancel plans? "I know what you were trying to do with the whole wedding-in-Vegas scheme and I really hope that karma comes and bites you in the ass for me sometime soon."

"I didn't know this would happen," She confessed gently, watching him. While her attention was elsewhere, Cheese-Kun pried her fingers open and devoured the dog cookie in her grasp. He then set to licking all the crumbs and essence of the biscuit from her fingers. "I thought that he'd realize he was really in love with you and decide to break things off with her instead."

"You mean that's what you were hoping would happen," He said in the same chilly voice. She winced a bit then sighed, shifting her attention back to her little pup. She smiled sadly at him before picking him up and cuddling him a little bit. "I guess it doesn't really matter, though." Lelouch sighed, shutting his book and tossing it on the table.

"How so?" The green haired bartender asked calmly, her fingers massaging the scalp of her furry little pet. He relaxed into her and shut his eyes, drifting into a peaceful little nap.

"I'm leaving for America soon," He said. Her eyes shot open and she looked at him as if horrified. He chuckled lightly and looked at her sideways. His smile was more bitter than cheerful. "I can't stay here any longer, Cici. I'm tired of playing the masochistic fool. If I go to America I can get away from him and the memories of it all. I'm going to work with a few people Milly knows out there while still running the business out here through Shirley. I already talked to Shirley and Kaguya about it. I told Euphemia at the cake tasting yesterday, called Milly earlier today and had her set up the rest of my arrangements for when I get there. And, since I have you here right now anyway, I decided to tell you now rather than at dinner. I trust that you can tell Kallen for me when she gets home?" He explained with a sigh as he stood.

"And have you told Suzaku about your plan yet? I have a feeling he'll have a few words to share with you," She said with a frown on her lips. Lelouch cast a meaningful look at her and she glared a little bit at him. "Things may be awkward between the two of you right now but that doesn't mean you should just cut him out, Lelouch. He's still your best friend and you're supposed to be the best man at his wedding. I can respect you're leaving the country but I can't respect that you aren't going to tell him. This could change everything between you two." She argued sternly, her glare remaining in place. Lelouch turned so he was fully facing her, a furious look on his face.

"We can't be friends anymore, Cici! Because you and Kallen thought you'd try playing match-makers and fuck everything up I can't even claim to that title anymore! What happened last night… He knows how I feel, Cici, and this was his way of giving me a firm push away! This is game over, check mate, the end!" He snapped angrily, clenching his fists and fighting back his tears. Why did he have to be so weak with subjects that involved that brown haired moron? Why did that moronic Japanese boy have to just melt his rational thoughts? "He's going to marry Euphemia, they'll have a family, they'll be happy… That's the way it has to end." He said with a sigh, his energy drained.

"And what do you get in the end, Lelouch?" She asked softly, looking at him gently. He blinked a bit then gave a hollow chuckle in response, shaking his head.

"I never said it was a happy ending for everyone," He said in a dead tone before turning and walking to his room. She didn't try to stop him because she knew it would be futile to try. He had a lot of packing to do and little patience left for anyone; especially himself.

End

Okay… So… I think I'm going to hide from the rage I think I may have inspired. I'll see you guys in the next chapter. And check out the new poll I have posted on my profile! We need to hear from all you lovely viewers to know what's up!


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Chapter Twelve: Silent Decent into Isolation

_It was at Christmas that Suzaku realized that he and Lelouch were officially friends. On Christmas Eve, Suzaku and Rin were invited to stay at the Lamperogue home since Genbu wasn't going to be home for the holidays anyway. "The way I see it, this just saves us all some time," Marianne had explained happily, "since the children were probably going to meet up after they unwrapped their presents to play and we were probably going to enjoy some tea and cookies together while they had their fun." That night, Lelouch and Nunnally taught Suzaku a few Christmas carols from their home country, Marianne and Rin baked them fresh gingerbread man cookies with hot cocoa, and Suzaku and Lelouch talked almost all night while nuzzled into the warm covers of the older boy's bed._

"_This has definitely been the best Christmas Nunnally or I have ever had," Lelouch had said softly, smiling over at his little sister's sleeping form across the room. Suzaku blinked a bit then looked at him curiously. "In Britain, Christmas was always terrible. Our father was married to our mother but during the holidays he'd lock up the doors and windows so that we couldn't get out of the house. Then he'd go and take presents to all our older siblings and spend time with them. We only got presents if our mother bought them for us before Halloween."_

"_That's terrible," Suzaku mumbled, jade orbs wide with horror. Sure, Genbu wasn't always there, but at least he made up for it when he finally had the chance to come home for a visit! "Why did he do that?"_

"_He didn't want our mother to forget her place and he didn't want us to think that we were better than our siblings. He wanted us to understand the cruelty of the world and that other people don't really care what happens to us," He mumbled softly, his little fists clenching on the pillow he was resting his chin on._

"_Well that's not true," Suzaku said as he inched a little closer and gave the other's ebony hair a little pat, "because I care about you and Nunnally. You guys are my friends and I'll always watch out for you!" He declared with a little grin, keeping his voice low. He didn't want to disturb Nunnally from her peaceful sleep, after all._

_Lelouch blinked a few times slowly before tears filled those large amethyst spheres and he abruptly shoved his face into the fluffy white pillow. Suzaku smiled a little wider and continued stroking the other's hair soothingly, wanting him to understand the full meaning of his words. "Thank you, Suzaku," He heard the other's muffled words through the pillow and chuckled lightly. After a few moments the other boys sat up, the blankets draped over his shoulders like a long cape, and wiped at his eyes frantically. He perked up and looked at the little digital clock on the bedside table next to them. "Hey, it's midnight." He commented._

_Suzaku looked over and grinned lightly, nodding. "You're right! Do you think Santa already came?" He asked excitedly. Lelouch shrugged before ducking over the side, fumbling around underneath the bed. "What's up?" He asked, leaning to try and peek over the other boy's shoulders._

_Lelouch popped back up with a box in hand. It was wrapped up neatly in white wrapping paper but had a gold ribbon wrapped around it, tied off in a bow on the top of the box. There was a little tag with a reindeer attached to one of the loops of the bow. Lelouch held it out to him, blushing a little bit and looking off to the side. "Here; it's technically Christmas so I figured it'd be okay for you to open this. Merry Christmas, Suzaku," He mumbled nervously. Suzaku blinked a few times before taking the box from the other._

_He carefully undid the bow, letting it fall in his lap. He carefully tugged at the paper, not wanting to tear it into a massive mess of plain paper on the other boy's bed. He then lifted the lid and his eyes widened in joy at the object inside. "You got me the new Lancelot action figures?" He gasped excitedly, pulling the plastic mecha toy from its cardboard home._

"_I remember you were looking at it when we went to the toy store a few weeks ago," He said calmly, a little smile coming to his lips. He fidgeted with his fingers a little bit as he spoke. "I'd been saving up money from doing my daily chores and picked it up when I got Nunnally's gift too."_

"_But this was really expensive! It would have cost you all your savings!" He said in surprise. He was grateful but he didn't want Lelouch to spend so much on him. The other shook his head calmly._

"_I spent all my money between you and Nunnally; your gifts were about the same price so it wasn't all that bad," He said merrily. Suzaku smiled then blinked and looked down sadly. The other tilted his head innocently._

"_But I didn't get anything for you or Nunnally," He said sadly. Lelouch smiled and lightly took his hand. He gave it a reassuring squeeze._

"_Instead of giving us gifts, just be our friend, okay? Neither one of us has ever had that," He said cheerfully. Suzaku blinked then grinned brightly, nodding frantically._

"_I'm always going to be there for you two! I promise; I'll be like a knight!" He declared with a little grin before the two boys fell into letting giggles together, flopping back over and slowly dozing off as the laughter died away._

…

Suzaku's eyes were bleary with sleep as he sat up, stretching. As the daze of sleep wore off he looked around, half expecting to see a ten year old Lelouch curled up beside him with a smile on his face. Instead he was greeted by the wooden panels of Gino's apartment. Oh yeah, that's right; he flew the coop and had gone off to hide at Gino's. He sighed and flopped back on the guest room bed, looking up at the white popcorn ceiling. He wasn't ten and it wasn't Christmas; he was a grown man and he was messing everything up.

'_I'm breaking my promise to Lelouch,'_ He thought sadly, closing his eyes in regret. When had things become so complicated? _'I love Lelouch but I… I think I love Euphemia. I mean, I've never really dated anyone else so I've never known how it can be with someone else. Or, rather, I didn't until what happened with Lelouch.' _He could feel heat rising up to his cheeks as he reminisced on the events of the previous evening. _'But what should I do? Break off the engagement with Euphemia? That wouldn't be fair to her but I can't just ignore my feelings for Lelouch.'_

The door creaked open and Anya walked in, looking through her phone calmly. She glanced up at him. "Something's bothering you," She said calmly before slipping into a seat at the foot of the bed and snapping her phone shut. Anya was a petite, quiet girl that Suzaku had to admit was rather helpful. She observed but only stepped up and spoke out when she felt her help was a necessity. She was Gino's step-sister and lived here with him. They kept the guest room in case their friends needed a place to go. Though Gino was loud and cheery he was also very supportive and a great source for comfort. It was why Suzaku enjoyed being around the pair; they were opposites but also very caring people.

"I'm just a little confused about something," He mumbled lightly. He sighed as he sat up and looked down. "Where's Gino, anyway?" He asked.

"He's picking up some pizza. The delivery guy parked by the front office because he couldn't figure out how to get here so Gino had to go meet him. He should be home in a few minutes," She said calmly before looking at him. She always seemed disinterested, her mask just as great as the one Lelouch had been putting on for the last few years. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really. It's something I guess I just need to figure out on my own," He sighed lightly. She nodded and stood, opening her phone again and looking through it again. She paused at the open doorway and glanced over her shoulder at him.

"Think about what will make you really happy, Suzaku, not what you think is expected of you," She said calmly before looking back at her phone. She blinked a little bit then looked at him again. "And Gino's here with the food. Come have some dinner and try to relax." She said while walking off.

Suzaku blinked then sighed. Anya's suggestion was actually much more helpful than he had thought it would be. "Food's here! Get it while it's hot!" He heard Gino call. Forcing on a small smile and tossing his fears aside, Suzaku headed out, deciding the heed to his rumbling stomach.

…

Cici perked up when there was a light tap on the front door of the apartment. That must be the pizza delivery boy. She pushed off of the couch calmly and walked over, Cheese-Kun weaving between her legs excitedly as she walked. She opened the door, planning to release a calm thank you, only to pause and glare. She leaned against the doorframe with a small huff. "What are you doing here?" She huffed in annoyance. This was definitely _not_ pizza.

"I came to talk to Lelouch. Is he in right now?" Euphemia asked gently, concern etched on her face. The other girl let out a low groan and leaned back in to the house.

"Lelouch, get out here! Your sister is here to have a wedding talk!" She shouted before stepping aside. Assuming it was the closest she'd get to an invitation to come in, the rose haired female stepped in and cautiously shut the door behind her. Cheese-Kun sniffed at her shoes curiously, to which she smiled and carefully kneeled down, letting him sniff her hand.

"Is this your puppy?" She asked Cici as the other female flopped over on the couch. She glanced over and nodded. "He's a cutie. What's his name?" She asked, gently scratching behind the little puppy's right ear and giggling when one of his back legs started kicking a little bit. Cici silently wondered if Cheese-Kun was just too young to smell the pure evil that practically dripped off the other woman.

"Cheese-Kun," Cici said calmly, stretching out and resting her heels on the coffee table in front of her. She could hear Lelouch rummaging about in his room, mostly likely moving boxes out of his way to get to his door.

"Like the little Pizza Hut mascot? That's so cute!" She giggled lightly in response. Lelouch stumbled out of his room, kicking an empty box off his foot, and walked out. He shot a look Cici's way.

"When I asked you to put some boxes in there for me I didn't mean for you to make a wall of them in front of my bedroom door," He said with a small sigh. She merely smirked at him, twirling the remote control in her hands.

"Next time try to be more specific then," She said with an innocent grin replacing the smirk. He glared at her then smiled over at Euphemia.

"Let's go sit on the patio and talk," He said, heading over and opening the door for her. She walked out, slipping into one of the white plastic chairs, while Lelouch paused to look at Cici. "Don't try coming out here or eavesdropping." He said before stepping out and sliding the glass door shut. He narrowly missed clamping it shut on Cheese-Kun's little muzzle.

"I didn't come to talk to you about the wedding," Euphemia said calmly while Lelouch took a seat. He blinked a few times, looking at her curiously. "I came to talk to you and Suzaku. And your feelings for him." Lelouch had to swallow hard to fight off a nervous bark of laughter.

"What are you talking about? Suzaku and I are friends," He said calmly, crossing one leg over the other and leaning back in his chair. He chuckled lightly and shook his head. "Just because I'm interested in the same sex doesn't mean I'm in to your fiancé."

"I talked to Rin-San today," Euphemia began calmly, "and she told me you two got married while you were drunk in Las Vegas. Suzaku came by and talked to her about it the other day." Lelouch silently planned to strangle the other male for blabbing to his mother. And people accused Lelouch of being a momma's boy! "And a little while ago Cici said something to me that I didn't understand. It wasn't until we went to the cake testing that I figured it out. You're in love with him, aren't you, Lelouch?"

He blinked then sighed, looking at her with sorrowful violet orbs. "It doesn't matter, Euphemia," He said gently. He glanced out at the stars and moon in hopes they'd alleviate some of his inner resentment. They didn't. "Suzaku loves you, he's engaged to you, and he signed the annulment papers. We aren't married anymore and that's that. I'm more focused on making sure your wedding is perfect."

"But Lelouch, your feelings do matter," She said worriedly, reaching to take his hand. When she realized that it was clenching the arm rest of his chair she pulled her hand back and left it in her lap. Something told her that contact would only spur rage or a worse depression from him.

"He wants a family, Euphemia," He said gently, giving her a rueful little smile. Fate was a bitch and Lelouch was the fool. He could, however, fight against Fate and try to find some degree of happiness; even if it meant leaving his friends and home for another country. "I can't give him what you can give him. And I've accepted that."

She stayed quiet, looking down at her hands. "Did you talk to him about your plans to move to America?" She asked gently, glancing back up. This topic almost made Lelouch release a sigh of relief; he could lie through his teeth about this matter with the greatest of ease.

"He was so mad at me that he decided to stay at Gino's until the wedding," He said with a small humorless laugh. He then shook his head, holding up his hands in defeat. "I guess he can't really see that it's about time I went on and did some soul searching."

Euphemia nodded, though on the inside she was worried. She didn't know why but for whatever reason she felt like she was being deceived. She decided to stay quiet, however, and just hope the bad vibes were her nerves over the upcoming nuptials.

End

This chapter's a little shorter but don't worry; the next one will be the most dramatic of them all! It will be filled with many epic things that will BLOW YOUR MINDS! And maybe the last one? Just maybe! Also, check out my profile if you wanted to know about everything going on in regards to my fanfics and updating schedule!


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Chapter Thirteen: The Odds and Ends

Lelouch looked around the reception hall with his usual critical eye. The beautiful masquerade theme for the reception had been pulled off without a hitch. The curtains that were hanging right now were cobalt blue with silver ribbons tying them off to the side. The tables were covered in table cloths made of more durable material of the same color with different masks of various colors and styles resting atop the plates. The silverware was wrapped in crimson napkins, tied off with golden ribbons instead. He let out a long sigh and flashed the dazzling room a rueful smile. It was his greatest work. Too bad he wouldn't get to enjoy it.

He turned and exited, heading to the nearby elevator that would take him to the hotel room Euphemia and the rest of her bridal party were using to get ready. He hadn't spoken to her since the night on the balcony; hadn't talked to Suzaku a day longer. He lightly knocked on the door to be greeted by the bride to be. Her hair was tied up in a bun at the back of her head, her veil covering her face. The dress she'd gotten, a strapless mermaid style dress, hugged her figure and emphasized her curves, looked ravishing on her. "Lelouch," She smiled and hugged him tightly.

"Well, I've made sure that everything is picture perfect for you," He said gently, hugging her back. He set his hands on her shoulder and looked at her with a small smile. "I'm afraid that my flight will be leaving soon so I can't stay for the ceremony. But congrats, Euphemia. I know you'll be happy." He said gently before kissing each of her cheeks lightly before turning to head off.

"Are you going to say good bye to Suzaku?" She asked curiously with concern. He paused and glanced at her over his shoulder. "I think that it'll mean a lot to him, even if he doesn't want you to leave." He nodded and waved briefly before gliding back into the elevator. He heard her door shut just as the metal doors of the elevator slid shut.

Lelouch leaned against the wall and pressed his hand to his eyes, taking deep breaths and trying to relax. His heart was twitching and jerking painfully. Suzaku was marrying Euphemia today. That was just a fact. He took a shaky breath, forcing back his tears. _'You never stood a chance, Lelouch! Just let it go!_' He screamed to himself, forcing himself to regather his sense of calm.

The doors slid open and he perked up when he saw Cici and Kallen. Kallen was wearing a spaghetti strap maroon dress that reached her knees, matching heels, matching gloves that went up to her elbows and her hair combed down. Beside her, Cici's gown was a sleeveless white that slipped down to her ankles, black heels and black gloves that reached her wrist. Cheese-Kun was on his leash beside her, his little business man hat perched on his head with a cute little tilt to it."Were you giving your best wishes to the bride-to-be?" Cici asked in a monotonous tone. Both girls had barely spoken him since the news of his move.

"Yeah. She tried to tell me to go tell Suzaku I was going. If she asks either one of you, please lie about it for me," He said calmly.

"Of course; that's what we're here for," Cici said calmly as she leaned down and picked Cheese-Kun up. Lelouch got a quick whiff of kiwi and realized that the girl had used his shampoo on her dog. He decided to let her have that victory, considering he'd be gone soon.

"When I have a stable place to live I'll send you guys a letter. And you guys can make sure to send the things I couldn't bring out to me through the mail," He explained calmly. Kallen nodded wordlessly before taking Cheese-Kun away and heading off to where the ceremony would be held. They watched her go before looking back at each other.

"We'll be sure to handle it. And you'll have to forgive her; she's upset that you're leaving us because of Suzaku," She stated. Lelouch shook his head sadly and looked at her.

"This isn't about him anymore; it's about me and my faults. I can't stay here and pretend that I'll be fine. Watching him and Euphemia be happy with each other… That would be too hard for me," He said softly. He let out a little hollow chuckle. "I hope you can forgive me for this selfish move on my part. I just need to shake things up and try to let go of the unrequited love that hasn't left me alone after all these years."

"Do you really think that running away is the best way to handle it?" She asked coolly, regarding him with her sharp amber gaze. He blinked then gave her a pleading look.

"I want to put my faith in that," He said gently. He shook his head again suddenly. "No, what I mean is that I need to believe in that. I don't want to think that being miserable is all that I've got left to look forward to. I don't always want to just be the wedding planner."

"Well then, I hope you're happy in the end," She said before hugging him. He smiled then gently hugged back, not even minding that her long hair was getting in his face. "I'm going to miss you. And you better come back to visit. And when you do come back to visit, you're going to pay for all my pizza the whole time you're visiting." She mumbled softly. He could tell she was trying to stay strong and not shed a tear over their parting.

"I will and I guess I'll give in to your need to feed on pizza," He said softly before pulling back. They looked at each other for a moment before he gave her a small smile. "I'm going to miss having my partner in crime around all the time."

"How do you think I feel? Now who am I going to blame when the dishes haven't been done?" She asked with a little pout. He laughed and gave her another quick hug. "Good luck, Lelouch."

"Thanks. Take good care of Kallen and Cheese-Kun for me," He said with a smile. She returned it before turning and walking off to catch up with her girlfriend. Lelouch looked around him as the guests began flocking in. He smiled to himself then took a graceful bow, his gaze looking toward the ceiling. A few people looked at him as if he was nuts. "I bid you a fond farewell, Japan. Thank you for all the good memories and character building experiences." He mumbled with a small smile. He then turned and walked out, heading out to his car and one lonely suitcase for the trip ahead.

…

Suzaku stood at the chapel, waiting impatiently. The only person missing from his party was his best man, Lelouch. _'He must be finishing things up with the reception,'_ He thought, trying to relax. His stomach churned worriedly, beginning to fear something bad may have happened to him. He shook the fear off as the wedding march started and instead turned his attention to the approaching wedding participants.

First came the flower girls, cousins of Euphemia's. They were all wearing matching pink gowns with white sashes around their waists. They sprinkled little white, red and pink rose petals from their baskets. After them came the four bridesmaids and matriarch of honor, Cornelia, all wearing matching silk dresses in a shade of elegant yellow. And then came Euphemia in her perfect wedding gown, attached to her father's arm. Suzaku's stomach released another protesting twist at the sight of the man; the man who had tortured Lelouch and his family. Euphemia smiled at him through her veil as she stood before him. "Are we ready to begin?" Asked the pastor calmly.

"There's just one person missing, my best man. But he should be here in a second; he was also the wedding planner," Suzaku said softly. He blinked worriedly at the surprised expression on his bride's face. "What's wrong? Did something happen?" He asked gently to her.

"Lelouch lied," She sighed suddenly, shaking her head a bit. She looked around desperately for a moment, as if hoping that the air would give her some idea of what to do, before shifting her gaze back to her husband-to-be. "He told me he talked to you. I should have double checked with you to make sure he wasn't lying."

"Lying about what? What's going on?" He asked a little more frantically. Something had happened and he'd been kept in the dark about it again!

"He's leaving, Suzaku," She said as delicately as possible. She watched those emerald orbs widen, shock and fear melding in those eyes she adored so much. "He's going to America. He said his flight was leaving in a little while so he couldn't stay. He told me that he told you and that was why you decided to stay with Gino. And he told me he was going to go let you know what was going on before he left the hotel."

Suzaku growled and grabbed at his hair lightly, looking out at the guests and then back at the woman before him. "He… He did lie to you. That… That bastard! He decides to just up and leave and doesn't even tell me?" He lamented angrily.

"Suzaku, he left because he loves you," Euphemia said softly. Suzaku stopped looking around and fixed his gaze on her. She gave him a small little smile. "I figured it out and talked to him the other night. I don't know if you already knew but… He really does love you, Suzaku. He's loved you for a really long time and he thinks that if he goes to America he might be able to forget you."

"I can't believe he's doing this now," Suzaku whispered, trying his best not to topple over. Not that he could necessarily blame Lelouch; things were awkward and strained. Lelouch had confessed his feelings, been boned by the other, and then dissed and dismissed. _'This is my fault. I led him on and now… I… I can't believe…_' Suzaku thought in a frantic haze, fighting back the lump in his throat. That always happened when he was about to cry.

"You love him, don't you, Suzaku?" She asked softly with a little smile. He blinked, stunned by this. She leaned a little closer, her voice falling quieter. "I can tell, Suzaku. Maybe we were in love once, that first love that lasted a lot longer than either of us should have let it, but I think there's a possibility for you and Lelouch. You two complete each other. The only reason Lelouch is leaving is because he thinks you're doing this because of what you told him you wanted so many years ago; a wife and children. He doesn't think he can offer you that but there's adoption and fostering. You need to go after him."

"But, Euphemia, what about you?" He asked softly, worry etched on his face. He gently took her hands in his own. "We're supposed to be getting married."

"Suzaku, I want you to go be happy. I'm sure I'll find someone who will complete me like you and Lelouch," She said with a smile. She then leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek, moving the veil aside for the action. "Thank you for always being so wonderful to me. Now go on and find your happiness." She said happily.

"Thank you, Euphemia," He smiled before heading to dart off. He was almost at the door when Charles Britannia got in front of him. He blinked then glared up at the old man scowling down at him. "Excuse me but I need to get by."

"Excuse me," Charles said coldly, "but I believe you're here to marry my daughter, not chase after that disgraceful pillow biter I am genetically the father of." Suzaku's fists clenched and unclenched before he let out a little chuckle, glaring up at the male before him. Euphemia watched worriedly, one hand lightly covering her mouth as she looked between them.

"You know, there's something I've always wanted to say to you. I've been practicing it in the mirror since I was in grammar school," He said with a little grin. Charles raised a quizzical eyebrow. Suzaku clenched one fist, then whapped it right in to the other man's jaw. He then grabbed the other man's shoulders and brought his knee right into the other man's gut, smirking at the pained noise that escaped him. He tossed the other man off to the side before smirking. "Stay away from Lelouch."

And with this, Suzaku ran outside, got a cab and headed to the airport.

…

Lelouch sighed as he leaned back in his seat on the plane. He was trying to relax and had asked the young flight attendant to bring him a strawberry daiquiri; it had earned him a strange look to which he had flashed a small glare to get his point across. Most people would think drinking before noon and without ordering it with food would be considered the sign of an alcoholic. Thankfully Lelouch considered those people to be close-minded morons who had clearly never been in his position of being gay and being trapped in unrequited love.

His phone began to buzz in his pocket just as he was beginning to relax. He growled lightly and let out an aggravated sigh as he fished it out of his pocket. It slipped, however, and hit the aisle. The battery popped out and the screen was cracked, causing Lelouch to let out a low growl and bite his tongue to hold back a swear; there was a six year old boy sitting behind him. He reached out to grab it when another hand met his, their fingers brushing. He looked up curiously to see another passenger with bright orange eyes, green tinted hair and lightly bronzed skin. "Oh, sorry. I thought I'd offer my assistance," He said quickly, pulling his hand back. Lelouch blinked a bit.

"Oh, it's not a problem," He said quickly with a small smile. The other smiled back. "I'm Lelouch Lamperogue, by the way." He said, offering his hand. The other blinked but then his eyes lit up.

"You're Lelouch Lamperogue? I'm Jeremiah Gottwald, a florist friend of Milly Ashford's! She mentioned that you had decided to come out but I never thought I'd be riding on the same plane with you. This is an honor, really!" He smiled happily. He perked up, looked at his ticket and then smiled. "It appears that I'll be sitting with you. If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to you about some things."

Lelouch smiled and nodded before quickly grabbing the things for his phone. "I wouldn't mind at all," He said happily, sitting up and popping the battery back in. He didn't care to turn it back on since he'd be unable to read anything with the damaged screen and would have to turn it off soon enough. "I really don't know many people who are very knowledgeable with wedding so it'll be nice. I mean, I had assistants and all but they only really do what I say without question or suggestion. It'll be refreshing to spend a conversation talking about serious wedding plans and such." He mused as the other took his seat.

Since Lelouch didn't turn his phone back on, he didn't receive the text from Cici pertaining to what Suzaku had just done at the altar.

…

Suzaku could feel his lungs and heart burning as he skid to a stop as he entered the airport. He stood, hands on his knees, panting heavily, and ignored the stares from other people. He looked around in hopes of seeing Lelouch sitting somewhere with a book in his lap and his hand holding up his head. He saw nothing and decided to head over to where the tickets for planes were purchased. There was no one there so he thankfully didn't have to wait. "Excuse me, but can I ask a question?" He asked politely.

The lady at the desk smiled happily and tilted her head. Her hair was tugged back in a black bun. "Certainly. What do you need to know, sir?" She asked cheerfully.

"I was wondering which gate was the flight for America," He asked nervously, trying to remain calm and look cool. He didn't want her to think he was afraid or anything, after all. She paused, clacked at the computer for a moment and then looked up at him sympathetically.

"I'm sorry, sir, but that flight left about fifteen minutes ago. If you'd like, I can check when the next flight out is and get you a ticket for that," She offered gently. He blinked a few times, taking a small step back, and shook his head.

"No, no that's okay. Thank you for your help," He said in a hushed tone before turning and walking off. He got outside and paused, leaning against the wall of the large building. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to ward off his tears, and ran his fingers through his hair. _'I was too late… He's gone…'_

End

Is this the last chapter? Of course not! There will be a happy ending; don't worry! You'll see part of what I mean next chapter! Until then~!


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Chapter Fourteen: A Bizarre Form of Comfort

Cici looked at the miserable lump of bundled up blue blankets with only a pair of downcast, sleep-deprived emerald orbs peeking out. There were a few empty cartons of ice cream littering the floor around the couch. The remote was seated close by the edge of the blanket so that the figure beneath could get to it and change the channel without any part of his body being revealed. The lime green haired female shook her head lightly and sighed, patting her things so that Cheese-Kun would jump into her lamp. "This is completely pathetic," She said to no one in particular.

The front door opened and in walked Kallen, a few boxes of pizza in her hands. She blinked a few times at the blanket-covered mass on the couch. "He's still sitting there like that?" She snapped angrily, setting the pizza boxes on the coffee table and flipping open the box on top. She handed a piece to the other woman, who ripped off the crust and gave it to the fluffy dog seated in her lap. The red-haired female blinked a few times when she spotted an empty container of chocolate chip ice cream lying on the ground. "Suzaku, you bastard! I bought that for Cici and I!" She snapped angrily, darting over and yanking him out of the blankets. The brunette was still wearing his tuxedo from when he bailed on the wedding.

"Leave me alone, Kallen!" He snapped angrily, shirking back and trying to get away from her. Her eye began twitching and her fist collided with his chin, her other hand letting him go as he flopped to the ground and released a little groan. She launched on him and pinned him there, delivering another blow to his jaw. A little bit of blood splattered onto the rug from his now split lip.

"Kallen, stop beating him up! You're going to get blood all over the floor and I'm in no mood to clean it up," Cici said calmly while finishing off her first slice. She reached over and picked up another slice, giving the crust to her pup again. Her roommates looked at her as if she was insane. "What? Lelouch is gone and we all know that I'm terrible with housekeeping." She said casually.

"Please don't say that name," Suzaku whimpered weakly, letting his head fall back to the ground with a dull thump. Kallen rolled her eyes and got off of him, picking up a piece of the pie and taking a bite. She kicked off her shoes, which landed on his gut, before crossing her ankles over one another on the coffee table.

"This is exactly why I want to beat him up; he's nothing but a whiny little brat," She spat angrily before taking another bite from her food. She made sure to take the bite more viciously, signifying her rage and annoyance for the male lounging on the floor.

"What do you mean by that?" Suzaku asked with a scowl on his face while he sat up. He didn't even pay any mind to the blood trickling down his chin and on to his black tuxedo. The other looked at him through narrowed lids, cerulean spheres gleaming in a way that screamed disgust.

"Exactly what it sounds like, you moron. One minute you're all over Euphemia, bailing out on Lelouch and abandoning him when he needs you most, then you have a nice little fling with Lelouch and decide it's him you want. And then, after that, you go to get him but just give up after you find out you missed his flight? All you've done the last four days is mop and sniffle and cry over him but you haven't tried to come up with any plan to go after him! If you really loved Lelouch you'd be trying to find a way to get back to him!" She snapped. Suzaku blinked a few times as he sat there, taking in what she said. While they were staring at each other, Cici reached into her purse, resting on the ground, and pulled out a letter. She opened it, unfolded the paper and looked it over.

"'Cici, I've made it to America safe and sound. I've already met a nice guy who I'll be working closely with from now on; his name is Jeremiah Gottwald and he's a florist. He's letting me take over an extra room in his house so you can send my things to the address on the letter. I've also met a few of my other new co-workers; Milly really did a good job of assembling a team of excellence for this whole thing. Dorothea Ernst is the new bridal shop owner I'll be coordinating with and she seems like a nice woman; she's a little harsh but she's also pretty kind. My new baker is a woman known as Monica Kruszewski; she's a little quiet but she seems to have a good head on her shoulders and is more than knowledgeable about decorative, stylish cakes. Lastly are the two who will be helping me tend to appointments and making schedules; Luciano Bradley and Nonette Enneagram. Luciano is my new secretary who has some weird fixation with vampires. Nonette is my new assistant who will be going with me to make my rounds and such, like Shirley. And Nonette… Well, you remember my sister Cornelia? She's a lot like a more upbeat version of her,'" Cici read in her usual tone of monotony. The other two perked up and looked over at her. "'Other than that, there hasn't been too much to tell. Send me my things when you get the chance. Also, send my congrats to Suzaku and Euphemia, as well as my apologies for not attending and kind of giving them the lead around about my participation in the wedding and location. My cell phone broke on the plane before I left so I never got to check that text you sent me and since my computer is in Japan, with you, I couldn't receive any e-mails you may have sent. I'm planning to get my cell broken in a day or two so I'll call you so you can tell me what the news was. I'll talk to you later, Sincerely Lelouch Lamperogue.' God, he wrote the whole thing in cursive! His hand writing is so petite and girly it's hard to read in print format." She huffed lightly with a little scowl on her face. She then glanced up at Suzaku and smirked a little bit. "So do you think this would be good enough to convince you to go looking for Lelouch? Now you know exactly where to go to find and harass Lelouch."

Suzaku darted over and took the envelope away from her, checking the address. According to it, Lelouch was currently in New York, New York. He smiled brightly. "This is perfect! I'll head out in the morning to meet him. I'll take his things with me, too, so that he doesn't get too angry," He said calmly with a little grin.

"That's great, Suzaku," Kallen said flatly with a small scowl on her lips. She finished off her slice of pizza and got up. "But you do realize you have to do a few things first, right?" She asked calmly. He blinked a few times.

"What do you mean?" He asked, looking at her with his head tilted innocently. She rolled her eyes and pointed to her little empty container mess on the floor. "Oh, is that all? That'll only take me a second to clean up."

"And you need a shower. Seriously," She said calmly. Cici nodded in agreement while Cheese-Kun whimpered and covered his little nose with his paws.

"We don't want to be mean but you smell like shit. So go shower, get clean clothes on and then clean up this mess. Oh, and don't forget to clean up the blood you got all over the carpet. It clashes with the color scheme," Cici said bluntly with a small smirk on his lips. Suzaku shook his head and headed to the bathroom, wondering how it was Lelouch had been able to deal with these two girls from high school until the day he left.

…

Lelouch yawned lightly as he stretched out in his seat at the kitchen table of Jeremiah's house. A cup of steaming tea was beside him and he had many documents and schedule books surrounding him, a black-ink pen resting on one of the papers he'd been previously jotting information down on. Things had been a large rush of work since he'd arrived in America, with only brief pauses to catch his breath thanks to the help of Jeremiah and his lovely wife, Sayako. The Japanese woman had a motherly air about her and was always fretting over the two, but also clearly held strength of her own and did not rely on her husband for support; physically, financially, mentally or emotionally. "How goes it?" Jeremiah asked politely as he walked out.

"Well, it could be worse but it could also be better. I'll put my vote on somewhere in the middle," He said with a small smile. The other chuckled and took up a seat across from him. "I didn't realize how much work it would take to get things out here situated. And it's been a lot harder without my computer or phone. Good thing I'm taking that to be repaired tomorrow, though."

"That is good. And again, I'm sincerely sorry that it broke because of me," Jeremiah said gently. Lelouch smiled and waved one hand lightly at him.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Jeremiah. I told you that it was okay," He stated back before picking up his tea and taking a small sip. He smiled as the warm liquid helped him relax into his seat. "So can I ask you a personal question?" He asked after a nervous pause. Something had been plaguing Lelouch's mind since he'd left.

"Of course," Jeremiah said with a small smile. Lelouch took another sip of his tea to help strengthen his resolve.

"Do you think that obsessing over your work and fleeing to a foreign country is the way to handle a situation that makes things hard for you?" He asked bluntly. Sure, all of his friends had stood by his decision and reasons but they were also watching out for him due to the things they'd been through together; Milly thought that running away was the best solution since it had been Lelouch's way of getting away from her in high school, Cici knew that fleeing was the only thing Lelouch would do in terms of the matter given the many times she suggested things he do that he'd say he would and never really live up to, Rivalz had only known half of the story and though this decision was because of Lelouch wanting to experience something new so he supported it, and Kallen had been rather adamant about her stance against the idea up until the bitter end. But Jeremiah and he hadn't known each other for more than a few days; he could be brutally honest as to what he thought of Lelouch's decision without too much fear of hurting his feelings.

"That depends on the situation, I guess," He said calmly, nodding his head. He stood and headed toward the tea pot resting off to the side of the stove top, the contents inside still warm. He plucked a coffee cup from the cupboard and began filling it with the slightly foggy liquid.

"What do you mean?" Lelouch asked softly, trying to keep the fear from his voice. He didn't want the other male to think he was a coward; perhaps this whole plan had been a terrible idea, in retrospect.

"Well, if you were the victim of a bad position that could have improved over time than yes, running away was far from the right thing to do," He said calmly, plopping a spoonful of sugar into his tea and stirring it in calmly. He lightly tapped the spoon on the top of the glass, getting off any tea drops resting on it, before putting it in the sink and walking back over to his seat calmly. "If this was something that had been going on for a few years and you just finally grew tired with the masochist horse and pony show you were putting yourself through than I can understand why escaping would be such a good, appealing idea. And if that is the case, than I agree that you made the right decision in coming here. If you don't want to share specific details with me than that's fine and I can completely understand, given we've only known each other for a few days, but please understand that whatever the reason there really isn't a right or wrong in the actions you take that other people should have the rights to criticize you on. Running away from whatever was going on back in Japan may have been what was best for you to do, and you may think that it was the longer you stay here, but there really is no right for me to pass judgment on your choice and chastise or praise you for it. I will confess I'm grateful you decided to come here because you've been very humble, polite and kind and I feel honored to have known you but if you decided tomorrow to return to Japan I wouldn't try to stop you. I would only request that we remain in contact, as good friends often do." Jeremiah was smiling in a delicate way the whole time he spoke to Lelouch. Unlike most adults older than Lelouch, however, there was no hint of scorn or misgivings in the other male's features; Jeremiah was being sincerely in every word he was sparring to the other. Lelouch gave a small smile of his own as he looked back into tea cup.

"You really are a very warm, spiritual man, Jeremiah," He said while looking up, violet orbs the picture of gratitude and sincere joy. Lelouch hadn't felt so reassured in his feelings, thoughts and actions in so long; his mind derailed completely when he awoke married to Suzaku. The events that followed had also been of no help to his already sensitive (though he hid it quite well) self-image and self-worth. Suzaku pretty much used him for sex and then abandoned him for his beautiful, flawless older sister (who he'd always felt somewhat inferior to, despite their respective genders).

"You flatter me, Lelouch," Jeremiah chuckled lightly, "for I am simply an honest man. I believe in speaking openly and honestly in all senses of the words." He then took a sip of his tea and hummed in delight at the perfect flavor and temperature. He nodded a bit at the flavor.

"Sayoko is a very lucky woman to have you for her husband," Lelouch said with a small chuckle before taking another sip of his own drink and picking up his pencil. He began jotting down a few things in regard to his first bride; her theme was traditional so roses with a few baby's breath and light hued pansies would be the best to compliment her pure white gown. As for the gown, given the woman's figure and personality, he felt that a mermaid gown would go just right for her.

"I believe that I am the lucky one to have such a treasure of a woman want to be with me given I am a simple florist; and a male florist, at that!" He chuckled happily. Lelouch smiled back up and chuckled as well. The Gottwald's really were a very sweet pair; both very calm and polite but also affectionate with one another when they were in the company y of those they trusted or when the mood permitted such gestures.

"You two are very lucky to have found one another, given your wonderful chemistry," He said with a small smile before looking back down at the things he was writing. He'd be awake bright and early in the morning to get his phone repaired and he knew he'd promised to call Cici after it was repaired but he had a strange urge to call Suzaku. Even if the other wasn't romantically interested in him, he could still apologize for his behavior the last few weeks and on the day of the wedding; maybe that would be the first step to letting go of the love he'd been harboring for the Japanese youth for so long.

…

Suzaku was surprised to see that the same woman was working as when he'd come by five days ago in hopes of catching up with Lelouch. She perked up and smiled at him, a small spark of concern in her eyes. "Why, hello again sir. Can I help you with anything?" She asked happily. He smiled back and, for the first time in a few days, he felt a lot better and hopeful about the future.

"I'd like one for New York, New York, please. Preferably the soonest flight you have," He said with a small grin. The woman behind the desk smiled back sweetly.

"Our soonest flight leaves in about twenty minutes. Will that work for you?" She asked after clacking away at her computer.

"That would be positively fantastic, thank you," He said. The woman nodded and got everything taken care of, handing him his ticket after a few short moments. He nodded his thanks and turned, heading out of the line to see Euphemia. He blinked a few times, completely stunned by her arrival. She flashed him a coy smile. "What are you doing here?" He asked in surprise as he approached her.

"Cici told me what was going on and I thought you'd get lonely waiting for your flight alone," She explained gently. Suzaku was struck dumb by this for a brief moment, wondering when Cici and Euphy became chummy enough for the amber-eyed, conniving witch to keep the Snow White-esque woman in the loop about the going-ons of the tenants of their apartment building, but quickly let it go when she held out one hand. In her palm were their wedding bands and the engagement ring he'd given her. "I also thought I should give you these back. I doubt you'd want to share them with Lelouch, since he'd probably give you some lecture about not using the same rings twice to marry two totally different people, but you could probably sell them to ge the money for the ring you'll give him."

"I don't even know if he'll take me back after everything that happened; I'm pretty sure right now if I proposed to him, even with a different ring, he'd have a few choice words to spare for me," Suzaku said with a nervous chuckle. It had been his big fear since deciding to give chase after the other male that he'd be rejected right out because of rage, hurt and pride. The young woman gave him a small smile while shoving the rings into his hands.

"Like I said, get the money to pay for the engagement ring you decide to get for him," She said in a more bossy tone. That little grin was still playing on her pale lips. "Give Lelouch about twenty minutes of scolding you before he melts away and agrees to marry you; trust me, he uses anger to mask every other feeling he has." Suzaku blinked, then smiled brightly and chuckled lightly. He felt, somehow, more secure that everything would turn out okay.

Strange to think that his strongest supporter would be his ex-fiancée, though.

End

Ah~! Another lovely chapter, another chance to hear what all you lovely viewers think of my writing! The next chapter will be the second-to-last chapter! So please tell me your thoughts and I'll give you a wonderful ending! Ciao~!


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Chapter Fifteen: Saying Sorry isn't Easy

Lelouch smiled calmly at the young man behind the counter at the little cell phone company outlet Jeremiah had driven him to. "So what exactly happened to your phone?" He asked, popping the battery back into place and looking at the screen. He made a weird face. "Oh, that's a really bad crack. Won't be reading any text messages any time soon with that in the way."

"Yes," Lelouch agreed calmly, "and what happened was I was bumped when shutting it off on an airplane. I popped the battery back in and tried turning it back on after we landed but it wouldn't turn on. That or the screen was so badly damaged it didn't light up to alert me." The other nodded and looked back up at him.

"Just let me talk to one of my managers. If we exchange this with the exact same phone we should be able to transfer over all your contacts, messages and other important files on your phone," He said happily before heading off to a dark haired woman standing by the entrance. They talked softly before the woman nodded and headed over, slipping behind the counter and disappearing into a nearby side room. "She's going to go get the other phone while I set up the programs and cables to do all the transfers necessary."

"Thank you," He said happily while looking over at Jeremiah. He was looking at a silver flip phone. The older male was planning on getting his wife a new cell phone for her upcoming birthday. Lelouch found it cute that he wanted to get his phone with better service and a better look that matched her style; the one she currently had was about three years old and beginning to fall apart.

"What do you think of that one, Lelouch?" He asked politely. He smiled and nodded, flashing a thumbs up in response. The other grinned and began talking to another employee about purchasing the new phone and having it set up to replace the old one.

The manager walked back out with a box and handed the broken phone over to her co-worker and smiled, opening the box. "This should only take a few minutes and then you'll be completely set," She said happily while hooking the new phone up to one of the cables while the young man hooked up the old one. The female clacked away for a few quick seconds before clicking the enter button. The new phone screen lit up white and she smiled. "Since this was covered on your phone plan this will all be taken care of free of charge." She said happily before nodding her head and getting ready to head out.

"Thanks, and have a nice day," He said with his usual charming smile in place. The young woman blushed, giggling a little, before smiling back, waving, and darting off to another customer looking at cell phone charms. "She seems like a nice girl." He commented to the male employee.

"She's the coolest manager here. I could give you her number, if you want," He offered with a wink and cheeky grin plastered on. Lelouch gave a small chuckle back and waved a hand lightly.

"I can't do that. I just got out of a long, painful relationship and don't think I'm ready to date just yet. She deserves someone who can give her their full attention and devotion," He said smoothly. Lelouch learned early on that some Americans were less accepting of homosexuality than the Japanese so a little white lie was his way to stay safe. Besides, he didn't need to announce his sexual preferences to random strangers.

"Well, that must really suck. I'm sorry to hear that," He said with sympathy on his face. He perked up when the phone let out a little beeping noise. He smiled, unplugged it, and handed it over. "Here you go, Lelouch. Thanks for coming by and letting us help you."

"Thank you for fixing my phone," He said happily. He glanced over to see Jeremiah had finished purchasing his gift for Sayoko. "Ready to go?" He was answered with a nod. He smiled back over at the male clerk. "Thanks again for your help. Have a nice day." He said, waving, before he followed the older man out and back to the car.

…

Lelouch stretched leisurely on his bed and sighed softly. He had looked through to make sure everything in his phone was there from contacts to pictures and downloaded ringtones. He then picked out Suzaku's number and clicked the green call button. Uneasiness was twisting around in the pit of his stomach. "Hello?" He heard the other male's voice after a few rings. He waited to see if it was just his voicemail. "Lelouch, are you there?" He asked curiously.

"I'm here. I was worried it was your voicemail, sorry," He said quickly. He leaned back against the headboard of his bed and looked at his sock-clad feet instead. He tried to ward off the discomfort that came with hearing the brunette's voice. "I'm not interrupting your honeymoon or anything, am I?" He asked nervously.

"No, no. Just landed and left from the airport, actually. Heading to the hotel after a real fast errand. But I can talk; what's up?" He asked curiously. Lelouch nodded a bit to himself. Euphemia and Suzaku's honeymoon was scheduled for the British country side; Charles had agreed to let them stay at the country house he owned to relax and unwind. Lelouch knew that it had been because Euphemia was known as the Golden Child of the family; pretty, popular, smart and straight as an arrow.

"How's the air out there? As crisp and clear as I've heard?" He asked with a small chuckle. He heard Suzaku laugh back as well. He was grateful because this must have meant that Suzaku had understood what he'd done and why or had been convinced by Euphemia to just put the past in the past.

"It's actually kind of stale, if you can believe that," He said gently. Lelouch nodded quietly, a little surprised. They could have still been in the city, but he didn't remember London being that polluted.

"Huh, that is. I'm really surprised," He said. He slipped off the bed and walked over to the window. He blinked slightly when he saw a tallow taxi turn down the street and head toward the front yard. It pulled up next to the mailbox but couldn't see the person sitting in the back seat from the distance. "So where exactly are you, anyway?" He asked curiously, keeping his gaze locked on the taxi in the front yard.

"I'm in New York, alone. Well, to be more specific, I'm looking at you right now," He said calmly while the door opened. Lelouch's eyes widened as he saw Suzaku step out, grinning up at the window while still holding on to his cell phone. "I guess you haven't talked to Cici about what happened, considering your deer-in-the-headlights impersonation."

"Suzaku, you better have a damn good reason for being here!" He snapped, closing the curtains and darting back to his bed. He flopped down and sat there, clenching his phone and resisting the urge to send the little device colliding into the wall.

"I came to talk. You really didn't call Cici to find what was up?" He asked worriedly. Suzaku swallowed hard. "If this is a bad time, I can give you my hotel info and you can come by later." He made the offer more out of impulse than actual consideration; he didn't want to wait to talk to Lelouch about everything.

"Yes, I think that'd be better," Lelouch said, getting up and heading over to his desk. He pulled out a pen and piece of paper. "Give me the name, address, and room number; I can find it on my own when I'm ready to head down there."

…

Suzaku sighed as he sat down on his bed in the hotel. He really hadn't wanted to leave (and the taxi driver had been an ass about it) but Lelouch had been very rattled by his surprise appearance. Lelouch's boxes and things were shoved off into one corner of the room, stacked neatly and in a way that they would not crush anything. "I guess this shouldn't surprise me too much," He mumbled, flopping back on his bed. He had order himself some room service for dinner with a glass of water and a gin and tonic; he wanted the alcohol as comfort after he ate and everything really sank in.

He heard a knock followed by, "Room service for a Suzaku Kururugi!" He sighed lightly and got up, answering the door. He nodded his head and uttered a quick thanks, taking the plates in with him. He watched the young bus boy walk off with his push cart before shutting it again and sitting at the little table. He ate in silence, sipping his water every now and again to help him relax. He sighed lightly, taking a bite out of his pizza and sipping his water afterward. When he finished his little pizza and prepared to take the first sip of his special drink he heard another knock on the door. He sighed, set it down, and headed to the door, expecting to see the bus boy returning to see if he was done with the dishes. Instead he was greeted by Lelouch standing there, glaring off to one side and looking completely uncomfortable.

"Lelouch?" He asked after blinking a few times. The other glanced up at him, cheeks dusted with a faint blush, and nodded quickly. "I didn't think you'd be coming over tonight after what happened when I went over earlier."

"Well, I decided to come here and talk to you. I mean, I'm going to have to talk to you eventually. I decided sooner was better than later," He said with a calm little shrug. Suzaku stepped aside and indicated for him to come in. "Thanks." He mumbled softly before slipping past him and walking into the hotel room. He perked up and looked over to see the drink the other was about to down. "Is that alcoholic?" He asked curiously.

"Uh… Yeah. I was just going to kind of relax with it," He stated meekly. Lelouch looked at it with a raised eyebrow before looking at him. He turned and sat down in the chair the other was previously occupying. He crossed one leg over the other and looked at him like a business man making a huge deal with another company.

"Okay, I came here to hear you out. So what exactly are you doing here and where's Euphemia?" He asked calmly. Suzaku took a moment to just enjoy the sight of him sitting there, soaking it in and resisting the urge to just continue staring at him vacantly. "Well, are you going to stand there like the moron you apparently are or are you going to sit down and explain everything before I walk out that door and ignore you the rest of both our lives."

The other blinked a few times, emerald orbs glittering with bemusement, before dropping on to the edge of his bed. "So… I'm not too sure where to start since I've never done this so I'm going to wing it. Is that okay?" He asked curiously. Lelouch swirled one hand in a circle indicating that he continue to speak. "Well, after everything that happened after we went to Vegas… I just kind realized that maybe Euphemia wasn't the person I really wanted to be with. And then after… That night, I thought that maybe I'd misread signals and thought it'd be better if I just signed the papers. I mean, you had seemed like you really wanted me to sign them so I thought that would make you happy. At the wedding, Euphemia told me what happened and I just got really angry and upset… And I realized that I really was in love with you. So I was going to stop you from leaving but your plane had already left. So then, after you sent that letter, I came out here to find you."

Lelouch remained silent for a moment before switching his legs around. "I'm not going to forgive you that easily, you do realize? It's going to take me so time and you're willing to wait?" He asked calmly, watching with a sharp glint in his eyes. Suzaku blinked then smiled lightly.

"I'm more than willing to wait as long as it takes," He said cheerfully. The other nodded before sighing and running his fingers through his dark hair. He then glared at him through his bangs and glanced over at the boxes. He pointed at them with one finger. "Are those my things?"

"Oh, yeah," Suzaku stood and picked a large, heavy looking one up. He gave a small, uneasy grin. "Do you want me to help you load up your car?"

"You brought these for an excuse to come and in hopes I wouldn't try to seriously maim you, didn't you?" The other asked bluntly. He sighed and gave a small smile when he saw the other flinch and blush, stammering to come up with some kind of excuse or way to bluff through it. "So what are your plans? Are you going to stay here for a little while or are you planning to stay forever?"

"I'm planning to stay here for a long, long time. I came here for a reason, Suzaku," He said, heading toward the door. He opened it while Suzaku grabbed his room key and followed him. "Although, in retrospect, you've made that reason somewhat pointless."

"I'm sorry, "Suzaku said meekly as they walked. He was staying at a decent hotel; the only down side to this place was that there was five stories and absolutely no elevators. He found this a little odd and had made a face when told his room was on the fourth floor. Lelouch paused as he opened the doors to the stairwell to gaze at him over his shoulder. "But if you're staying here forever than I'm staying here equally as long. I said I came here to fix things with you and I'm going to stick to it."

Lelouch kept his gaze ahead as he pondered this. Where was Suzaku going to work? And what about living; hotels would be too expensive. "One of my new co-workers has an uncle, Bismarck Waldstein, who could probably give you a job. You'd have to be flexible, able to bite your tongue, and fast at taking notes but you'll have full dental coverage and a pretty nice pay check. You'll be his personal assistant," He explained gently. Suzaku chuckled lightly as they headed out the lobby doors to the parking lot in search of the other's vehicle.

"So I'd basically be his personal bitch? I guess I could live with that; I do think karma deserves to give me a little bit of a dozy," He commented calmly while Lelouch stopped in front of a silver four-door minivan. He'd borrowed Jeremiah and Sayako's car to make his little trip and they'd both been completely fine with it. Lelouch chuckled as well, popping the trunk and watching as Suzaku set the box inside.

It took them another four trips and during these trips they mostly discussed things from casual conversations; recent movies they'd seen, books they'd read, shows they watched. Soon enough they fell back into the familiar rhythm of practically finishing each other's sentences like they had until high school. _'We haven't really changed all that much, have we? I guess we just thought we had because we hadn't spent any time together in so long,'_ Suzaku thought with a little grin. He set the last box in the back and slammed it shut with a smile. "So I guess I'll talk to you later?" He asked cautiously.

Lelouch looked at him as he got in the driver's side seat. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess you will," He chuckled before shutting the door and turning the car on. Suzaku stepped aside and watched him go with a small smile in place. Maybe everything really was going to end up being okay between them; at least now he was on the right track, anyway.

End

This chapter was a little shorter than I'd been hoping but I think it shows the first few steps of the healing process quite well. I didn't want to have Lelouch accept his apology in this chapter because I think, if I was in his position, I'd want to have a week or two to begin getting to know each other and get spoiled as compensation. So the next chapter is the last and will be much more comical than this one. I hope to see all of you in the conclusion! See ya then~!


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Chapter Sixteen: Something with a "P"

Lelouch sighed in contentment in the bath. It had been four months since he decided to leave Japan for America and the ever persistent Suzaku Kururugi came trailing after his heels. They had moved out of the Gottwald home about a week after Suzaku moved to America to stay with Lelouch but they went over or had the other couple come over once a week to have dinner together. Jeremiah and Suzaku were becoming fast friends, much to Lelouch's silent delight, though Sayoko still seemed rather suspicious of the young Japanese man. She was civil with him, however, and Lelouch counted his blessings for a least that much.

Now he was relaxing after a hard day at work. He had fixed himself a nice and hot bath with lavender scented bubble bath added in. It was a gift from Cici a few years ago that he'd never seen a point in using but after the kind of day he'd had he needed it. Aside from his little make-out session with Suzaku the day had been completely stressful. He's been dealing with three clients, all of which were Bridezillas who fought him on almost every suggestion he'd made. He perked up when he heard the door creak open and saw Suzaku's head poke in. "So this is where you were hiding," He mused as he walked in.

"I needed to unwind a little after a hard day at work. You look a little tense," Lelouch commented lazily as he glanced up. He sat up a little bit more and lightly patted the water, making it splash a little bit. "Do you want to join me? It works wonders on the achy joints and muscles."

Suzaku smiled and calmly started undoing his tie. "I think I just might," He stated cheerfully before tossing it aside and removing his shirt. He loved undressing in front of Lelouch because he knew it got the other so damn frisky it wasn't even funny. And if there was one thing Suzaku liked, it was a frisky Lelouch. He could tell it was working by the little gleam in those violet orbs as he dropped his trousers and slid in with him.

"So I've been thinking about something," Lelouch mused aloud as Suzaku crawled over. He then slid his arms around the other male's neck, lightly playing with the chocolate colored curls at the nape of his neck. Suzaku hummed in delight, leaning in closer and nuzzling the crook of Lelouch's neck affectionately.

"If this has anything to do about that comment I made about getting you shit-faced and in a three-way," Suzaku began warningly, "I swear I was kidding. I don't want to share you with anyone else and I know that you wouldn't consent, straight or drunk." Lelouch raised an eyebrow before chuckling lightly to himself. He had smacked Suzaku upside the head for that and told him no sex for five days. That was about six days ago.

"It has nothing to do with that," He said calmly. He lightly kissed the top of Suzaku's head, still playing with his hair. "Cici drugged us when we were in Vegas and got us married. If not for her we wouldn't be together right now." He said.

"So we should be grateful," Suzaku agreed with a little humming, kissing Lelouch's pulse lazily. The paler male shifted so that their bodies were closer and let out a little mewl of pleasure.

"That's right. And we're going to Vegas for her and Kallen's engagement party so I think we should do a little gambling and buy her a really nice gift with the winnings," He mused happily. Suzaku blinked a few times before looking up at Lelouch with a small smile. "I'm a master at poker."

"Can't read mine, can't read mine, no he can't read my poker face," Suzaku began singing lightly, his fingers slipping up along Lelouch's sides teasingly. The other giggled and tried to squirm away from him. "She's got me like nobody."

"Stop singing, you weirdo," Lelouch giggled, still trying to squirm. He tried using his hands to push the other off but it didn't work for him. Instead, Suzaku merely pulled him closer and kissed him. Lelouch let out a small, content moan as he closed his eyes and eased into the kiss. He grinned at Suzaku, their foreheads resting against one another's, and hummed lightly. "So do you agree with my idea? Your singing wasn't really an answer."

"I do. I think that it's a brilliant plan," Suzaku mused lightly before kissing him again. Lelouch made a small noise in the back of his throat before pulling back slowly. A devious smirk was slowly turning up on those pale pink lips of his lover's.

"A plan would mean that there was an ulterior motive to what we're going, Suzaku," He hummed darkly. Suzaku blinked a few times before a smirk to match his lover's turned up on his lips as well. He absolutely loved the wicked, wicked brain of his boyfriend's.

…

Suzaku yawned and stretched on the luxurious hotel bed. They had returned to Caesar's Palace, another favor from Kallen's big brother, Naoto, and right now Kallen and Cici were helping Gino get his luggage out of the trunk of the cab he'd taken. The trunk was stuck so the trio was trying to figure out a way to pop it open. Lelouch was standing over by the mini-bar, mixing a few things together.

"I hope that Cici, Kallen and Gino like their drinks. I want to make sure we start this evening off right," Lelouch mused as he opened a Tic-Tacs container with little white capsules inside. Capsules that had disintegrated in drinks he and Suzaku had sipped during their last visit to Vegas. Capsules that he had smuggled out of Cici's room when she wasn't home before he'd left for America. He dumped three into his palm before dropping one into each of the glasses before him. "Just like how Cici wanted to make sure everything for us went well."

"It's so great that we're going to give Cici a wonderful thank you present for what she did for us," Suzaku said with a small chuckle as he sat back up and looked over at Lelouch. They gave each other a conspiratorial smile before Lelouch slipped the little container into his back pocket and the hotel door opened. Lelouch picked up the two glasses he'd separated from the other three and offered one to Suzaku. "That took you guys a while, didn't it?"

"We had to use a friggin' crowbar to open the damn thing!" Kallen growled loudly, walking over and snatching up one of the drinks. She took a sip, licked her lips, and then nodded approvingly. "This is pretty good. Which one of you two mixed these?" She asked happily. Suzaku tilted his head toward Lelouch calmly.

Cici walked over, picked up a glass and took a quick sip herself. She then nodded. "You must have been paying attention when you watched me mix drinks," She said calmly, looking over at him with a superior gleam. The lime green haired woman took great pride in her ability to mix the best of intoxicating beverages. "This is pretty good but I could still do better."

"Really? Give me one!" The blonde male said eagerly as he darted over, dropping his suitcase in the process. Cici handed him the last glass and he took a quick sip, blue eyes going brighter with delight. "This is really good! Great job, Lelouch!"

"Thanks. Not as good as anything a professional like Cici could do but I think it's decent for an amateur attempt," He said happily, smiling kindly at them. Lelouch and Suzaku exchanged secretive glances while the other three discussed what they wanted to do first. _'Always make sure to stroke the ego of someone you're about to completely screw over. That way they'll expect it less.'_ He thought as he took a sip from his own glass. "How about we go check out a casino? I'll make a little money in poker and I'll get us all drinks on me at the bar there."

"Drinks on Lelouch? Watching him swindle morons out of their money? That sounds absolutely wonderful," Cici said with a chuckle and small smirk. Lelouch smirked back and nodded, though it was for a very different reason. He stood, Suzaku following after him happily, as they headed to the door.

"We'll go hail a cab while you guys get your things unpacked," He said calmly as they headed out and to the elevators. Lelouch and Suzaku smirked at each other as they started the decent to the lobby. "This is going pretty well so far. Cici doesn't suspect a thing."

"How can you be so sure? She is a tricky witch, after all," Suzaku said worriedly. Lelouch merely chuckled and shook his head, waving one hand lightly.

"Cici thinks we didn't know about how she drugged our drinks when we came here. She thinks we think that we just overdid it on the drinking," He explained calmly. He leaned against a wall and flashed a devious grin at the other male. "She'll know that we know after tonight though. But we'll still have to pretend like we don't know so she'll think we didn't know that she drugged us."

"You're starting to confuse me," Suzaku said quickly, holding up his hands in defense. Lelouch merely chuckled at this, leaning over and kissing him softly on the cheek. The other grinned at him brightly. "If I get kisses for being confused I'll have to get confused more often."

Lelouch chuckled, shaking his head lightly, before beginning to walk out of the now open elevator doors.

…

Lelouch yawned lazily as he settled into his chair in the hotel cafeteria. He and Suzaku were celebrating their night's success by enjoying the continental breakfast offered. Suzaku set a cup of piping hot coffee in front of the other. He smiled lazily at him and picked it up carefully. "Thanks. You're a doll," He said before taking a sip. Just the right amount of creamer and sugar had been added, making Lelouch sigh in delight.

"So what do you want to eat? It's all kind of self-serve so I'll go get it for you," Suzaku said after setting his own cup of coffee down as well. Lelouch looked at him curiously, then back over at the buffet-style tables.

"Just some French toast, scrambled eggs and a buttered biscuit will be fine," He said calmly. The other chuckled, emerald spheres gleaming with amusement, before nodding and heading off. Lelouch watched him as he prepared both plates and walked back, one resting on each hand, without spilling a single crumb of food. "I almost forgot how terribly coordinated you are." Lelouch commented happily as he took the plate and set it before himself. Suzaku set his down and sat as well.

"So how much longer do you think those three will be out for?" Suzaku asked as he picked up a piece of bacon and took a bite. Lelouch smirked as he cut a syrup covered piece from his toast and plopped it in his own mouth with the aid of his fork.

"I think it'll be another twenty minutes," He said calmly after swallowing. He cut another piece and swallowed it after a few chews. "So we'll have to eat in a hurry so we can bail before they try to find us. Kallen will want to castrate us and I rather like our genitals where they are." He said with a serious look in his eyes, the kind of look that spelt disaster if his orders weren't followed. Suzaku swallowed hard and blinked a few times.

"Are you serious? She'll want to kill us!" He exclaimed quietly. He didn't want to disturb the other guests eating around them. He then snickered and chuckled a bit. "But last night was totally worth it. Best time I've ever had that didn't involved you suffering in some way, shape or form."

"Are you saying you liked it when Milly used to parade me about school in the most humiliating positions and costumes?" He asked the other with a raised eyebrow. Suzaku snickered lightly, making amethyst orbs narrow to slits at him. "I can just tell them you came up with everything, you know. That way you'll be the only one suffering."

"They won't fall for it; they know I'm not that smart," He said with a little smirk. Lelouch blinked then smirked back smugly.

"So are you admitting that you're an idiot, Suza-Kun?" He purred lightly, using his fork to plop another bite of French toast into his mouth. Suzaku blinked a bit before a rosy tint came to his tanned cheeks and he glared at his lover. Lelouch chewed and swallowed calmly, still smirking at the other devilishly.

"You are evil," He mumbled softly.

…

Kallen groaned and shifted lightly, moving closer to the warmth beside her. It was probably Cici. She smiled a bit to herself, letting her hand slop onto her girlfriend's stomach. Her nose wrinkled a bit when she realized the muscles were a little more toned than she remembered. She slid her hand down slowly before her eyes shot open. Was that… a penis? She looked down to see a naked Gino Weinberg passed out beside her, mumbling innocently in his sleep. "Cici!" She shrieked as she jumped away, grabbing a sheet and keeping it clenched over her own naked body.

The other female's head popped up from the cot across the room. "What? What's going on?" She asked as she looked around. She blinked, amber eyes widening, as the very nude male sat up and rubbed his head sleepily.

"What are you guys freaking out about?" He yawned lightly as he stretched, not seeming to realize that he was stark naked. Kallen's eyes twitched and she jolted up when she looked down, feeling something soft under her hand. She looked down to see the voluptuous skirt of a wedding gown beneath her fingers.

"Cici, I think I got married to Gino last night!" Kallen shrieked in horror, looking up with panic-filled blue eyes. Slowly the other woman's eyes widened and she growled lowly, the gears in her head turning.

"Lelouch!" She snapped angrily, growling and throwing back the covers of the cot.

End

The "P" was for Payback! Lol! Thanks for reading so far! And I hope you like next weeks little bonus chapter~!


	17. Bonus

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Bonus Chapter: Boys on Film

Cici smirked a bit as they piled into their cab after Lelouch and Suzaku got married, stroking Cheese-Kun's head lightly as Kallen snickered as well. The other two were in the back seat, lips locked together and letting out rather naughty noises. "Suzaku's totally going to bang him in the car if this keeps up!" The red-head giggled lightly.

"Hey don't you two think you should wait until we get to the hotel to consummate your marriage?" Cici called calmly, glancing back at the two curiously. Lelouch was pinned to the seat with Suzaku on top, the skirt of the dress pushed up to just barely hide the paler male's underwear from view. The front of the gown had been pushed down to reveal Lelouch's chest, his nipples standing out in the air, and Suzaku's head was resting sideways on the other's shoulder so he could see the green haired woman. "I mean, for one a bed would be more comfortable and two I think the taxi driver would be less than pleased if you got your bodily fluids all over his back seat." She pointed out calmly. The two sat back up a bit and looked at each other with blurry eyes before giggling.

"But, Cici, I thought this is what you wanted?" She whispered in surprise. The other smirked and chuckled lightly, nodding and giving the pup in her lap another pat on the head.

"And that is why I set up a camera in the hotel room so that I could record this glorious moment to show to them later. Once they've both realized just how much they love each other and like being married," She mused happily. Blue eyes widened in surprise before they glinted mischievously.

"You are one amazingly devious woman, Cici,"

…

The ride in the elevator back to the hotel room was an interesting one, to say the least. Suzaku was carrying Lelouch bridal style but since they were both a little drunk Suzaku was unable to stand still and Lelouch wanted to squirm to try and get more comfortable. They fell quite a few times before the elevator even left the ground. "Do you really want to get in an elevator with these two?" Cici asked an older couple that had darted up before the doors closed. They both fell silent and trotted over to the other one, waiting for it to descend again. She had smirked a bit smugly to herself just as the silver doors shut and they began their trip upward.

"Now then, follow us you two," Kallen said after the elevator stopped on their floor. She was pushing Suzaku along by his shoulders while he continued to carry Lelouch. "Let's just stay away from the wall that lets you look down. Something tells me that could end terribly, what with Suzaku holding Lelouch and being tall enough to lean over the edge with him in his arms." She laughed nervously. Cici, who was leading the group, giggled to herself as she pulled out their room key. She swiped it through the little automatic lock and pushed the door opening, holding it there.

"Kallen and I are going to head down stairs for a little bit and get some drinks at the bar. You two stay up here and enjoy your alone time as newlyweds," She said happily and Suzaku stumbled forward, tripping on his own feet and crashing to the ground on top of Lelouch. The other let out a short yelp before falling into giggles while the two women sweat-dropped at this.

"You're so clumsy, Suzaku!" He yowled eagerly, crawling away on his hands and knees toward the bed. He rested his arms and forehead against the edge of the bed while he continued to giggle over the other's little spill. Suzaku pouted lightly before crawling after him. Once the two were both out of the doorway Cici shut the door quietly and walked away, humming lightly as she led her snickering girlfriend back to the elevators with her.

Suzaku crawled up and rested so that his body was completely behind Lelouch, making the other blink a few times. "You're one to talk. You would have tripped if I hadn't carried you," He mumbled softly, wrapping his arms around the other's waist and beginning to grind in to his rear. The other released a few short, cute mewls of delight at this.

"No… Ngh. No I w-wouldn't have," He whined back, beginning to move against the other. He liked the feel of the other moving in to him like that but he wished for just a little more contact. He heard the other chuckle lightly, warm breath fanning his ear, and he whimpered loudly. "I would not have… Wait, what were we talking about?"

"I don't remember," Suzaku mumbled for a moment, sitting up a little and blinking. They stared at one another for a long moment before Lelouch pushed his hips back and let out another loud whine. "Stop doing that; I'm trying to remember what we were talking about!" Suzaku growled quietly, his member jolting to life.

"I don't care… I want to play," He mumbled impatiently, kissing Suzaku hastily on the lips. He whined and began to hitch up his skirts. "I've never had to wait this much when I wanted it this bad so hurry up!" He grumbled bitterly.

"But won't it… like… hurt or some junk?" Suzaku asked, opening the fly of his pants anyway. Lelouch huffed and snickered, chuckling a little bit as he pushed his black briefs down to his knees and spread his legs a little more.

"It only hurts if you don't do it often. I always take it so it'll be fine," He said happily, waiting again as Suzaku freed himself with a hiss. Lelouch wiggled his rear end a little, humming the song My Humps by the Black Eyed Peas. Suzaku caught his hips in his hands and held him firm.

"Stay still. I need to get it in," He said in a stern tone. He was chuckling slightly, however, so any attempt at authority was lost. He pushed forward into Lelouch and whistled loudly. "Wow! You're really tight!" He said in shock, still pushing forward.

Lelouch was clawing at the bed sheets. "No, you're just big!" He seethed softly before letting out a low moan. One of Suzaku's hands slid up, pushed the dress down in the front, and lightly pinched a nipple.

"Oh hush now, you little whiner," Suzaku tutted lightly in his ear as he began to move, thrusting hard and fast. Lelouch released even more little cries of delight, biting on to the blanket to try and silence himself a little. "You're just tight and it's very nice, so it's a good thing. Hmm… And you're warm too…"

"Hn… Myah~!" Lelouch purred in response as he began to move as well, shifting to help him angle better. He then let out a loud, shrill noise when his prostate was struck at the right angle. "Right there! Oh, God, yes Suzaku! Right there!" He groaned loudly, meeting the other's thrusts eagerly. He cried out more, his walls tightening, and Suzaku leaned forward, nipping and kissing the other's neck lightly as they both moved forward eagerly. Suzaku held Lelouch in place as they both released. Lelouch's filled his undergarments, dripping over the side a bit, while Suzaku filled the other up.

Suzaku slowly pulled out and leaned back before he smirked and stood. Lelouch looked at him innocently over his shoulder, panting and gasping, features still flushed in the afterglow. "I think it's time for round two, don't you?" He sang happily before removing his shoes and socks. Lelouch's eyes widened a bit and he pulled himself on to the bed with a bit of a struggle. His feet caught in the dress which resulted in him merely kicking it off of him. "What are you doing?" Suzaku asked calmly, removing his tuxedo jacket and watching the practically naked male roll about like a fish out of water on the bed.

"You're kidding about round two, right? I've never gone for two rounds in a row before!" He yelped with a blush on his cheeks. Suzaku blinked a bit then giggled lightly, stepping out of his pants and boxers. He then sat on the bed as he began to unbutton his shirt, hovering over Lelouch calmly.

"But it'll be fun; I promise," He purred lightly, leaning in and smacking a little kiss on the other's lips. Lelouch let out a cute little noise in response. He grinned lightly, tossing his shirt off to the side somewhere, and shifting Lelouch a little bit. "Now just lie back and spread your legs." He hummed lightly. He grinned even more when the paler male did as he instructed with only a second of hesitation.

He pushed in and groaned at the warmth enveloping him again. Lelouch shifted a little bit, feeling a little of the release from before leaking out a little and trickling down. "It feels weird," He mumbled when Suzaku looked at him curiously. The other giggled lightly, kissed him again, and then began slow, shallow thrusts.

The rest of the night was spent experimenting with new positions until Lelouch's stamina was completely gone and a mix of the alcohol and exhaustion knocked him out.

…

Lelouch and Suzaku stared with wide eyes and bright faces at the television screen just as Cici and Kallen walked in to the hotel. The green haired witch smirked lightly at the camera. "This is our congratulations gift on your wedding, by the way. Hope you both enjoy it when you finally get it," She giggled before blowing a kiss and turning it off. Cici, sitting in the room with them, turned the television off with the remote control after the screen blurred out in blur.

"You… You actually recorded this?" Lelouch snapped while sending her a murderous glare. She merely waved the remote control in a circle in the air with a small smirk on her lips.

"I thought you would appreciate the gesture. It was for you two I did this, anyway," She mused in an innocent tone of voice. Cheese-Kun sat by her feet, leaning on her calf for support, while watching the three people in the room with acute interest. His ears perked up and his tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth as he panted quietly.

"This was completely intrusive and inappropriate and none of your business!" He snapped again, standing and glaring at her. His fists were clenched at his sides, his eyes were narrowed into angry slits and his entire face was a deep crimson.

"It was your business, though, so I merely recorded it for you two. This way, if things ever get dicey in your relationship, you can look back at this video and see how things started," She said gently. Her tone was almost the smooth, gentle type of tone a councilor would use when talking to their patient about their abandonment issues. "This is the type of exercise that a therapist would use on any normal struggling married couple."

"Except you aren't a registered therapist and the only reason that happened was because you drugged us in Las Vegas!" He growled, eye beginning to twitch. He shifted his gaze toward Suzaku, who was blinking a few times. "Suzaku, do you have anything to add? Like maybe help back me up over here?"

Slowly the other raised his head and looked at Lelouch as if seriously disturbed. "You were on the bottom in every sexual encounter you had?" He asked bluntly. Lelouch's face drained of color and his entire body was free of tension.

"What did you just ask me?" He asked slowly, certain he'd misheard the other. Oh, yes, this had to be a terrible misunderstanding on his part. The rage must have temporarily deafened him.

"On the tape," Suzaku said slowly, "you said you were always on the bottom. Is that true?" Lelouch twitched as a pink mist slowly crept back on to his cheeks.

"I hardly see how that needs to be dis-"

"Why don't you answer him, Lelouch? He's asking you a simple enough question, after all," Cici sneered lightly. He glared at her scornfully.

"Goddamnit, witch, keep your nose out of this!"

"Lelouch, stop avoiding my question! Is it true or not?" Suzaku snapped sternly. Lelouch groaned and smacked his forehead, mumbling bitterly to himself in French. "Is that's true… Oh my God, that Rolo kid over-powered you? You let that stupid, loli-looking pretty boy Rolo be your seme?" He erupted in a mix of horror and rage. Lelouch flinched at this, eyes widening a little bit, before he turned and began to walk away.

"I am not having this conversation with you in front of that contemptible witch and after having to watch that fucking tape!" Lelouch snapped while marching off to their room. Suzaku was right on his heels, however.

"So it is true? Dear God, Lelouch, how the hell did you let him top you?" He declared frantically. Their voices became muffled once their bedroom door slammed shut. Cici stretched out on her chair, turning so that her feet dangled off the side, and let out a contented sigh. She then leaned over, picked Cheese-kun up, set him on her stomach, and resituated herself in her chair.

"And that is why Suzaku needs to remember that no one eats the last piece of pizza in my pizza box, isn't that right, Cheese-Kun?" She hummed happily to her little pet, poking his nose lightly.

End

Yup, that's why she did this; revenge. Well, I hope you all liked this story and liked this end! I hope to see you all in the future and a grateful you read and review my writing~! Live long and prosper, y'all~!


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